Howard Johnson faces BHA hearing

TOP northern jumps trainer Howard Johnson has been charged by the British Horseracing Authority having admitted to running a horse that had undergone a neurectomy whilst under his care.

The neurectomy came to light following a post-mortem carried out on Striking Article after the horse was pulled up and euthanized at Musselburgh on 7 February last year. The procedure involves severing nervous connection to the lower leg to cause numbness. It is banned under the Rules of Racing on welfare grounds.

Striking Article, an eight-year-old gelding, was one of the most promising chasers in Johnson's yard. He was owned by Scottish tycoon Graham Wylie and his wife Andrea.

The horse had won six of his 12 races before his final run at Musselburgh and had run in the Anglo Irish Bank Supreme Novices' Hurdle at the 2008 Cheltenham Festival. He was sent off the 5-4 favourite to win a claimer in East Lothian, but was pulled up lame five fences from home.

Johnson has also been charged under a separate investigation in relation to the administration of laurabolin, an anabolic steroid containing nandrolone, to three other horses under his care. A provisional date of 10 February has been scheduled for disciplinary panel of the BHA to consider the case.

Meanwhile, tomorrow's meeting at Kelso is in doubt as the track is still frozen. Following a frost on Sunday night and another expected tonight, acting clerk of the Harriet Graham has called an inspection for 1pm today. The milder weather forecast may come too late to save the fixture. "We are beginning to run out of time. We've still got a bit of frost," said Graham. "Frustratingly, this mild weather is not due to come in until late Wednesday morning and that will not be soon enough for us."