A racehorse owner has been permanently excluded from all racing premises due to safeguarding issues. A BHA disciplinary panel, chaired by Nicola Shannon KC, was convened to consider charges under the BHA Safeguarding Regulations against Melvyn Power.
Owner's racing background
As a registered owner, Power enjoyed success with the filly Red Danielle, trained in Newmarket by Roger Varian, who won a race at Yarmouth in 2023. On her final start in his colours she finished second in a Listed race in France and was subsequently sold at auction for £315,000.
At the BHA hearing in September information was provided containing “confidential and restricted material relating to issues of safeguarding”.
Risk management measures
The Panel’s report said Power had been informed in May that the BHA intended to seek risk management measures “in light of information in its possession”.
The risk management sought by the BHA was an indefinite order excluding Power from the sport of horseracing and from any premises licensed or controlled by the BHA.
Panel ruling
The Panel was “satisfied to the required standard that there was evidence of a number of instances of conduct which breached Paragraph 4 of the Safeguarding Rules”.
It also ruled that the proposed risk management measure was “reasonable and proportionate”.
Under safeguarding regulations the panel issued an order indefinitely disqualifying Power from “any racing and/or related activities under the jurisdiction of the BHA”.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Mr Power shall be excluded from attending licensed premises which would include racecourses, training yards and Point-to-Point racing as either a paying member of the public or non-paying guest,” it concluded.
