Withdrawn horse at Wolverhampton suspected of flapping The British Horseracing Authority have announced that Bert Trick, the horse withdrawn at late notice at Wolverhampton on Thursday evening after being backed from 33-1 to 5-1, is the subject of an inquiry after information suggested it had been running on flapping tracks in Ireland. Frank Sheridan, the horse's Wolverhampton-based trainer who spent most of his working life as a steeplechase jockey in Italy, has also had to pull Rawaafed, also owned by Kevin Taylor, out of the claimer at Wolverhampton tonight. "I wish the BHA could have told me at the entry stage because it's been embarrassing, but they said they didn't get the information until the day of the race," he explained. I spent 26 years in Italy so had never heard of flapping. They showed me a photo of a horse in a field just as I was about to saddle him. He's very distinctive with four white socks, a white blaze and a white mark on his lip, so it was definitely him. I was training him for a new Irish owner, who seemed very keen to have horses here for the winter and had new colours and everything. When you're at my end of the business you take what you can and I don't believe any other trainers do a check, or would know how to do one, to see whether a horse coming over from Ireland had been flapping. I've now lost an owner and two horses because I've asked him to take them away. Of course the horse was well backed. He was working like a 75 rated horse and was running in a 0-56. I understand why they wanted him withdrawn. When I went to see the stewards they asked if I would take him out. I asked what my options were and they replied that if I didn't they would, so I had no choice. Friday's BHA statement said: "Following up on information received from our intelligence gathering network, the BHA initiated an investigation into the horse Bert Trick and its eligibility to race in Britain. In light of the ongoing investigation the Stewards at Wolverhampton asked Frank Sheridan to withdraw the horse. We are aware of the effect on punters of the late withdrawal of a horse from any race. Our priority was to protect the interests of the betting public and other participants in the race by preventing an ineligible horse from running. The investigation is ongoing and in line with BHA policy, no further comment will be made. Flapping is unlicensed and unregulated racing. It is popular in Ireland and in the Scottish Borders. Horses often run under difference names and once a horse has taken part in flapping, they are effectively barred from running under Rules.