Foul-mouthed stable lad with 'history of very poor conduct' disqualified for three months

A foul-mouthed stable lad with a ‘history of very poor conduct’ has been disqualified after an expletive-laden outburst towards a racecourse manager.

Nigel Wakefield, who works as travelling head lad for trainer Mick Appleby, was previously disqualified in 2021 for four months, two of which were suspended, over after he was convicted by a crown court of common assault and driving without due care and attention. It was found that he had driven a horsebox into staff directing traffic outside Chelmsford racecourse, knocking one of them to the ground.

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On Tuesday Wakefield accepted committing two breaches of the BHA’s code of conduct, introduced in 2022 to protect the racing workforce from harassment, bullying or abuse, when he appeared before an independent disciplinary panel.

The incident occurred at a Wolverhampton race meeting in December 2022, two and a half months after the code was brought in.

According to Charlotte Davison, for the BHA, an “angry and frustrated” Wakefield approached racecourse manager Anthony Gledhill to complain about seven ambulances being parked in the horsebox area.

He was alleged to have said, “Come here you. Come and let me show you. This is f****** ridiculous.”

Gledhill claimed he felt “frogmarched” to the box park by Wakefield where he was told, “This is an absolute f****** disgrace. All of these f****** ambulances parked here.”

When Gledhill told Wakefield he did not like his “threatening and aggressive manner”, Wakefield replied, “I’ll talk to you in any f******* way I want to, given your age”.

At a stewards inquiry into the incident, Wakefield said: “My manner has been the same for sixty-odd years, it’s not going to alter now”, adding that he didn’t “pussy-foot” around anyone.

Davison described one of Wakefield’s responses about the incident with Gledhill as “particularly concerning” when he said, “When he was nearly crying, ‘You can’t speak to me like that’, well I speak to everybody the same. If he wants to be a manager, he needs to manage and learn to manage and not go running to Dave Roberts and the stewards.”

Davison said Wakefield’s swearing combined with his aggressive behaviour and tone towards Gledhill showed he was not treating others with “politeness, respect and kindness” nor ensuring that racing was “safe and free of harassment and abuse”.

Outlining Wakefield’s history, Davison referenced the 2017 Chelmsford incident for which he was dealt with by the BHA four years later and another in which he had abused staff carrying out Covid-19 checks at a racecourse.

In January 2018 he was involved in a physical altercation with a former trainer and in August the same year he was abusive towards racecourse staff, receiving warning letters from the BHA both times.

Wakefield, who followed part of the remote hearing on his phone while he was driving to Nottingham racecourse, told the panel: “I don’t have a lot of money. What money I have I earn. I only get paid for the days I work. The other option is you are going to take my livelihood away from me, my only livelihood.”

Panel chair Philippa Charles said: “In our view the appropriate way to proceed is not to impose a financial penalty. We do however think it is important that there be a period of disqualification imposed.

“That period is three months. We are however satisfied that two months may be suspended for six months. We are content that there should be a dispensation so that he may continue to work at Mr Appleby’s yard during that period.”

Wakefield was also ordered to complete the BHA’s code of conduct module in the first month of his sentence and attend an anger management course.

He interjected: “So you’ve not imposed a financial penalty but you have because you’ve taken away my income for the next month.”

He continued, “You have just taken away my livelihood. Full stop, end of, yes? I would have much preferred you put a financial penalty on me which I could pay off as and when but as it is you have taken away my income which is pittance enough as it is.

“How do you propose that I live, end of story? It’s taken you two and a half years to come to this. I’ve had the stress of the last year since you’ve dug it up again and then you do this to me.”

Charles said: “We will put this all in writing for you and you will be able to consider it when we do that. I don’t think it’s productive to continue this discussion with you now. We’ve made our decision. I’m sorry it’s an unwelcome outcome for you but I’m afraid it’s a consequence of your breach of the code of conduct.”

Wakefield said: “Fine. You might as well put me on the gallows now because that’s me done, finished.”