• Two Directors of Italian owners Cheavaux de Prestige, Italian trainer Aldo Locatelli and jockey Oscar Urbina charged, along with four others
• No outstanding investigations into races before 1st January 2008

The British Horseracing Authority has concluded its investigation into the running of GOLDEN SURPRICE (IRE) following the Stay at Wolverhampton Holiday Inn Claiming Stakes on 4 December 2007. Following the investigation, charges have been issued against Sabrina Spuntarelli and Pierre Carniti, Directors of Chevaux de Prestige Italia, the owner of Golden Surprice, trainer Aldo Locatelli, jockey Oscar Urbina and four unlicensed individuals.

The charges focus on lay betting activity on the race and the fact that GOLDEN SURPRICE had not been in training or in a racing yard since 19 November 2007, when the horse won the Wolverhampton Racecourse.co.uk Selling Stakes.

Sabrina Spuntarelli, Niccolo Rugani, Pierre Carniti, Carlo Spuntarelli, Allesandro Carli and Gaetano Ravelli are charged with a breach of :

Rule 201(v), by conspiring with other persons to commit a corrupt or fraudulent practice namely running GOLDEN SURPRICE (IRE) in the 1.30pm “Stay at Wolverhampton Holiday Inn Claiming Stakes” when GOLDEN SURPRICE (IRE) had not been in training or in a racing yard since 19 November 2007 and using that inside information to place lay bets against GOLDEN SURPRICE (IRE) directly and indirectly on the Betfair exchange.

Sabrina Spuntarelli and Pierre Carniti are additionally charged with a breach of:

Rule 247 by, whilst a director of the company that was the owner of GOLDEN SURPRICE (IRE), placing lay bets or instructing persons to do so on the Betfair betting exchanges on the colt to lose the 1.30pm “Stay at Wolverhampton Holiday Inn Claiming Stakes” run at Wolverhampton on 4 December 2007.
AND
Rule 243 by communicating information about a horse which was not publicly available or provided for in Appendix N of the Rules (“Inside Information”), namely that GOLDEN SURPRICE (IRE) had not been in training or a racing yard since 19 November 2007 prior to the run in the 1.30pm “Stay at Wolverhampton Holiday Inn Claiming Stakes” at Wolverhampton on 4 December 2007, for material reward, gift, favour or benefit in kind directly or indirectly to Betfair account holders and/or persons having use of the facility to gamble on the Betfair betting exchanges.
AND
Rule 201(iii), wilfully causing GOLDEN SURPRICE (IRE) to start in the 1.30pm “Stay at Wolverhampton Holiday Inn Claiming Stakes” run at Wolverhampton on 4 December 2007 when that colt was not qualified to start the race because, in breach of Rule 184(a), the colt had not been in the care of and trained by persons holding licences to train under the Rules of Racing for Flat races, or by persons who are duly qualified Trainers in the country where the horse had been trained, for the 14 days immediately prior to the race?

Niccolo Rugani is additionally charged with a breach of:

Rule 247 by, as a Service Provider to the owner of GOLDEN SURPRICE (IRE), placing lay bets or instructing persons to do so on the Betfair betting exchanges on the colt to lose the 1.30pm “Stay at Wolverhampton Holiday Inn Claiming Stakes” run at Wolverhampton on 4 December 2007
AND
Rule 220(viii) by deliberately misleading the Local Stewards when requested for an explanation for the performance of GOLDEN SURPRICE (IRE) in the 1.30pm race by informing them that there was no explanation when in fact he knew that the colt had not been in training or in a racing yard since 19 November 2007.
AND
Rule 220(viii) by deliberately misleading an Employee of the BHA, namely the Stable Security Officer at Wolverhampton Racecourse, in connection with the control of racing by falsely claiming to be the owner of GOLDEN SUPRICE (IRE) so as to gain access to the course stables.

Oscar Urbina is charged with a breach of:

Rule 221B(i) and Instruction H24 by failing, as Rider, to make any report to the Local Stewards on the performance of GOLDEN SURPRICE (IRE) in the 1.30pm “Stay at Wolverhampton Holiday Inn Claiming Stakes” when the performance of the horse required the making of a report.
AND
Rule 220(iii) by acting in a manner prejudicial to the integrity, proper conduct or good reputation of horseracing in Great Britain by failing, as Rider, to make any report to the Local Stewards of information that he had received, particularly that the colt had not been in training for the race and not been prepared for the race, when the performance of the colt in the race required such a report to be made.
AND
Rule 220(i) and Rule 220(viii) by aiding or abetting NICCOLO RUGANI in deliberately misleading the Local Stewards when requested for an explanation for the performance of GOLDEN SURPRICE (IRE) in the 1.30pm race by informing them, on behalf of NICCOLO RUGANI, that there was no explanation when in fact OSCAR URBINA had been previously notified that the colt had not been in training prior to the race and had not been prepared for the race.

Aldo Locatelli is charged with a breach of:

Rule 221B(i) and Instruction D5, by failing, as the trainer of GOLDEN SURPRICE (IRE), when he was unable to attend the meeting, to authorise another person to represent him on the racecourse.

A Disciplinary Panel hearing will be convened in due course.

NOTES FOR EDITORS:

Guide to Penalties

The current guideline penalties for key offences are as follows:

Rule 201(v) – Corrupt or Fraudulent Act
Entry Point – 18 months disqualification
Range – 6 months to 10 years disqualification

Rule 243 – information for reward
Owner – Entry Point: 18 months disqualification, range 9 months to 5 years
Service Provider – Entry Point: 12 months disqualification, range 9 months to 5 years

Rule 247 – owner lays his horse
Entry Point – 6 months disqualification, range 3 months to 10 years

Rule 201(iii) – Entering not qualified horse
Entry Point – £1000 or Disqualify 3 months, range £500 to £3000/Disqualify 1 month to 3 years

Rule 220(iii) – Prejudicial to integrity, proper conduct or good reputation of horseracing
Entry Point – £2000 or suspend/disqualify 3 months, range £1,000 to £10,000/suspend/disqualify 1 month to 3 years

Rule 220(viii) – Misleading
Entry Point – £2000 or suspend/disqualify 3 months, range £1,000 to £10,000/suspend/disqualify 1 month to 3 years

Rule 220(i) – Aid or abet a breach
Penalty same as for