Cooper and Gagan handed big bans by BA

Ex-trainer Elliott Cooper and former jockey Steven Gagan have both been warned off for 14 years following a British Horseracing Authority disciplinary panel hearing.

The pair, along with unlicensed individual Stuart Trevaskis, were at the centre of an investigation into three races between August 2011 and January 2012.

The BHA looked into the runs of Quell The Storm at Cartmel in August 2011 and Kickahead at Musselburgh in January 2012, as well as Platinum at Fakenham the same month although that horse was declared a non-runner by vets shortly before the race.

The matter was referred to Cumbria police in July 2012, but no charges were brought by the police after its investigation and it was referred back to the BHA a year later.

Gagan, who has not ridden since January 2012, was found guilty of a handful of breaches concerning the conspiracy to commit a corrupt practice, stopping horses, passing inside information, and failing to supply phone records for an unregistered phone.

Former jockey turned trainer Cooper was found guilty of breaking rules relating to the conspiracy to commit a corrupt practice, passing inside information, laying his own horse, and causing and encouraging Gagan to commit breaches of the Rules.

Trevaskis was banned for 11 and a half years after admitting to some of the charges of conspiracy to a commit a corrupt or fradulent practice.