Newbury vet told he can work again by RCVS panel

James Main was banned for his role in an incident that also saw renowned Lambourn trainer Nicky Henderson fined £40,000 in July 2009 and suspended from entering races for three months.
At a week-long tribunal at the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) in London in February last year, Mr Main, a 51-year-old partner in O'Gorman Slater Main and Partners, of Donnington Grove Veterinary Surgery, Oxford Road – one of Newbury's most established practices – admitted injecting six-year-old mare Moonlit Path with a 20ml dose of Tranexamic Acid (TA) on February 19, 2009 in breach of British Horseracing Authority (BHA) rules, just hours before she made her racecourse debut at Huntingdon.
The horse, which finished sixth in the race, was later the subject of a random, post-race drug test and tested positive for the acid.
However, the equine surgeon, who has been a partner at the Newbury veterinary practice since 1989, said the horse's welfare was his primary concern and he denied that he knew, or ought to have known, TA was a prohibited substance that should not be present at the time of a race.
However he was found guilty of professional misconduct and struck from the register.
But yesterday (Wednesday) the RCVS restored his name.
Hearing chairman Professor Peter Lees said: “The committee is satisfied that Mr Main accepts the findings of the previous committee and fully understands their seriousness.
“The decision of the committee to remove him from the register sent a clear message to the profession of the importance of strict compliance with the BHA Rules of Racing.”
He added: “The removal of Mr Main’s name from the register was the inevitable consequence of his breaches of those rules and his dishonesty in concealing in his practice records that TA had been administered by injection to Moonlit Path. The committee accepts that Mr Main has found the removal of his name from the register a humbling and salutary experience and accepts his apologies.
“It is satisfied that he is very unlikely to breach the rules of racing in the future. In the light of its conclusion that Mr Main fully understands the importance of observing the rules of racing, the committee does not consider that there is a risk to the future welfare of animals in the event of his name being restored to the register.”
Prof Lees went on: “The committee is satisfied that removal of his name from the register has been highly significant for Mr Main, his family and practice, both financially and emotionally.
“It has taken into consideration that Mr Main has received a large volume of public support from colleagues within the profession and from clients with significant knowledge of the horse world, who have all attested in writing to his passion for and expertise in equine practice.”
He concluded: “The committee does not consider that any further period of erasure would be of benefit either to the public or the veterinary profession.”
Mr Main, who had continued to work in a management-only role since being struck off, said after the hearing: “I'm pleased with the verdict. I’m looking forward to getting back to work after a long year out.
“I’d like to thank all my friends and family who have supported me in what has been a very difficult year.”