THE long-running saga of the Jim Best disciplinary hearing concluded last Monday, a fitting day in a way, as in terms of the racing calendar, it was exactly a year since the affair began with the running and riding of Echo Brava at Plumpton. We’ve covered the details of this sorry affair often enough, but the verdict of the second disciplinary panel adds a final flourish to the story of the year, and there is plenty to mull over in the words of panel chairman Sir William Gage.

First things first – where the original judgment was correctly challenged over the inadequacy of the panel’s published reasons (as well as the appearance of bias in using Matthew Lohn as chairman), the same argument could not be levelled at the panel’s written submission in respect of the rehearing.