Tony Charlton allowed to have runners while waiting for full training licence approval from BHA

The former assistant to trainer Milton Harris was issued with a first temporary licence in November after Harris’s own licence was suspended by the BHA pending a hearing in January. Harris was deemed not to be a “fit and proper person” to hold a training licence at the conclusion of the week-long licensing committee hearing.

He was labelled “ungovernable” by the panel after he was found to have bullied fellow trainer Simon Earle, operated as a company director and traded in bloodstock when not permitted to under his licensing terms, and had failings around safeguarding his staff. Charlton was able to have runners up to and including March 15 with the temporary licence expiring on March 22 to facilitate the transfer of horses and staff from one licensed premises to another, according to the BHA.

The regulator turned down Charlton’s application for an extension to the licence stating that the “good reason” for providing it in the first place no longer applied and that Charlton would be at an “unfair advantage” if he was given a temporary licence to train while his full application was processed. The BHA also expressed concern Harris would continue to hold some influence over the running of the yard should a temporary licence be granted, despite reassurance from Charlton that the two of them are no longer in contact.

The committee also pointed out a “paradox” had been created by the BHA in not granting an extension of Charlton’s temporary licence as it had enabled Harris to move back to the yard, which he was no longer barred from due to it being unlicensed, at the same time as objecting to Charlton having an extension due to the potential influence of his former boss. In its written reasons for granting the temporary extension, the licensing committee said: “Mr Charlton should have a temporary licence pending the outcome of a first-instance decision (by the BHA or a licensing committee) as to the application for a licence to train.

“That process is expected to take around three months, but in view of the uncertainty as to that duration, we consider that it provides greater clarity to the parties to direct that the duration be fixed by reference to the decision on the application for a licence rather than by reference to a date. The temporary licence can take effect from Monday, April 22.”

In the interim period of Charlton not having a temporary licence, a number of horses have been transferred to run for Harriet Dickin.

Legionar and Yalla Habibi are among the ex-Charlton horses to have won for Dickin since switching stables.