Evans faces betting charge

TRAINER David Evans is facing a BHA disciplinary charge that he placed a bet to win on one of his horses, Black Dave, before it was officially announced a stablemate in the same race was a non-runner. Evans, who faces a charge of conduct prejudicial to racing, is also accused of sharing the information before it was common knowledge that Tango Sky was a non-runner at Wolverhampton in January 2015. Tango Sky was pulled out with a vet’s certificate which stated the horse was ‘not sound’. Concerns about the timing of the announcement were raised on the day. Evans could face penalties from a £1,000 fine to a three-year ban. MELON, runner-up to Labaik in the 2017 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, makes his seasonal debut for trainer Willie Mullins and jockey Ruby Walsh in the WKD Hurdle at Down Royal today.