Irish trainer Edward Lynam is strenuously denying using illegal tactics on Sole Power in last year's King's Stand Stakes after YouTube footage showed jockey Johnny Murtagh passing an unidentified object to Lynam's daughter at Royal Ascot.
Murtagh, who won the event, appears to exchange the object with Sarah Lynam in the winner's enclosure. The footage is now being investigated by the British Horseracing Authority.
The BHA are likely to be ensuring the object wasn't an electronic device, known as a jigger, in order to shock horses to run faster in the latter stages of a race, something of which Lynam maintains is false.
He said, “They are trying to stitch Murtagh up. I heard about this a couple of months ago. I think it was some American chap on Twitter. I take it they [the BHA] would have examined it if there was anything to examine, but it may be someone trying to do Johnny a bad turn.”
The video is said to have been sourced in America where racing has seen a number of controversies surrounding electronic devices in the past, but Murtagh and Lynam insist nothing untoward happened last June and are happy to answer any questions the BHA have.
Lynam added, “I asked my daughter about it and basically she helped him unsaddle the horse and they have to undo under the breast girth and she is handing him back a piece of that. It is not him handing her something, it is her handing him something.”
The investigation comes at a bad time for Lynam, who with Sole Power will be favourite for a Royal Ascot 2014 bet with punters, with the horse out racing in Dubai, and it only being a matter of months until June's King's Stand.
However, Sarah Lynam's account does seem valid. The footage does show the now retired Murtagh in the process of removing his tack, whilst she can be seen moving from one side of the horse to the other.
The BHA have confirmed they will be looking for explanations from the pair. A spokesperson said, “Nothing has been proven – we are talking about an inconclusive grainy image on YouTube. We will be getting hold of the original footage and, if the technology is available, will blow it up in an effort to find out what it is.
“We are looking for reassurance that there is nothing untoward here. Racing's integrity is open to scrutiny in every case and this is no different in any of the other cases that we act upon.”
It's likely that the BHA will want to get the situation cleared up as quickly as possible to ensure the sport is not brought into disrepute, particularly ahead of the great royal race at Ascot in June.
