Howard Johnson denerving inquiry will reconvene in August

The British Horseracing Authority's hearing into serious charges against the trainer Howard Johnson will reconvene on 2 August, with a verdict expected before the Ebor meeting at York later the same month, after the initial two days set aside for the hearing proved inadequate. Johnson is accused of running his horse Striking Article eight times after the horse had undergone an operation to remove or sever part of a nerve in his foot, known as a palmar neurectomy. This operation causes a horse to lose sensation in the back of its foot. Johnson, who denies the charge, has said that he was unaware that horses that had undergone a palmar neurectomy were banned from racing, both on welfare grounds and because the operation can compromise the safety of both horse and rider by allowing it to keep galloping when it would otherwise be in pain. The trainer is also accused of breaching the anti-doping rules on three occasions by administering steroids to horses in his yard. If found in breach of the rules, Johnson, who trained Inglis Drever to win the World Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival three times, faces a significant ban from the sport. Striking Article was destroyed following a race at Musselburgh last year, in which he pulled up after suffering an injury. When a post-mortem was peformed on the horse, it was discovered that he had undergone the neurectomy. The hearing is expected to conclude on the same day, with a verdict likely to be published within 10 days.