RACING: Alan Berry left Portman Square yesterday free to continue his training career after serious charges relating to the running of Hillside Girl at Carlisle collapsed.

The Cockerham handler faced the threat of losing his licence as a result of Jockey Club investigations into the performance of the two-year-old filly on June 15th last year.

Instead, he was fined a total of £2,150 after being found guilty of two lesser offences. The principal allegation facing Berry at the London headquarters of the Jockey Club was that he had conspired with jockey Paul Bradley and blacksmith Steve O'Sullivan - a known large-stakes punter on betting exchanges - "for the commission of a corrupt or fraudulent practice".

This was running Hillside Girl when they knew her to be lame for the purpose of laying her on betting exchanges. However, after a hearing which stretched to four days - three in July and yesterday's resumption - charges relating to that allegation against all three were thrown out.