Exclusion orders placed on three of the men cleared of charges of race-fixing and doping remain in place following a meeting of the British Jockey Club's disciplinary committee yesterday.

Ray Butler, John Matthews and Adam Hodgson, who were warned off all licensed premises in March 1999 in light of the charges brought by the Metropolitan Police, have been excluded for an indefinite period and were told that no application to have the orders lifted would be considered until January 1st 2006.

The Jockey Club lifted exclusion orders on Glen Gill and Jason Moore in December following the collapse of the trial at Southwark Crown Court in October.

The committee gave their decision after considering evidence which included numerous statements and telephone billing accounts and having heard representations from the three men.

Jockey Club press officer John Maxse stressed there was little similarity between the court case and the inquiry held yesterday.

He said: "The charges of conspiracy put before the court and the matter put before the disciplinary committee today are two very different things.

"With regard to the doping trial that was a criminal case before a judge and jury where the issue was whether or not there was evidence to prove conspiracy to defraud.

"However Rule Two of the Rules of Racing gives the stewards the power to exclude someone from licensed premises if they consider the presence of such a person undesirable in the interests of racing."

The three men could appeal against the decision and the Jockey Club are prepared for the possibility of legal action.

This year's Emirates World Series will include the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe for the first time. The Longchamp race, which will be run on October 7th, will be the seventh contest of the 12race series which begins with the Dubai World Cup on March 24th.

Officials at Sandown are hoping weather forecasts prove incorrect as they look to stage their first jumps meeting of the winter today.

The card passed an inspection yesterday but the stewards will have to check the course again this morning before the card gets the green light.

Further rain is threatening the meeting which features the Scilly Isles Novices' Chase. Channel 4 will broadcast the last four races at Lingfield today if Sandown is abandoned.

Today's replacement fixture at Warwick has already fallen foul of waterlogging following an inspection yesterday.