The only certainty before the BHA’s disciplinary panel meet on Tuesday to hear allegations that Robbie Dunne bullied and harassed his fellow jockey Bryony Frost is that horseracing is in for some very uncomfortable days.
A harsh light will be shone on the sport, not least how the BHA have handled a much-criticised, protracted investigation into a case involving allegations of sexism in the weighing room.
At the centre of the case is the poster girl of British jump racing, a role model for aspiring young female riders.
The subject of her bad-blood allegations is a journeyman professional who has rarely stepped into the racing spotlight, never mind had his name mentioned outside it.
But the outcome of a disciplinary hearing which will focus on three races last year — and may last up to six days — could have seismic ramifications.
Robbie Dunne (L) has been charged with verbally abusing and threatening Bryony Frost (R)
If 36-year-old Dunne is found guilty, he faces a significant suspension. There will also be a heap of scrutiny on the weighing room and the culture within it which allowed him to allegedly threaten and intimidate a female colleague unchecked.
Anyone who has read the vile comments attributed to Dunne — allegedly directed at Frost — which appeared in a leaked 120-page BHA report will find it hard to believe there can be any other outcome if they are found to be true.
They will also hear about Dunne allegedly standing naked in front of Frost in the weighing room while some of those confrontations took place.
Dunne could face a significant punishment if he is found guilty of bullying Frost (pictured)
Most will equally find it hard to comprehend how male and female jockeys are in such close proximity in changing rooms in the 21st century. The case has accelerated hopelessly overdue modifications to the lay-outs in the weighing room with changes being announced last week.
Anything less than a rigorous examination of Frost’s allegations will damage the sport and lead to the conclusion that the welfare of young jockeys — female and male — is not afforded the attention that wider society demands.
The basis of the alleged outbursts from Dunne, who told BHA investigators he had been the subject of threatening phone calls, was that Frost takes less care than she should keeping her mounts straight, potentially endangering fellow riders and their horses.
That included Dunne blaming Frost for the fatal fall of his mount Cillian’s Well at Southwell in September last year.
Behind that is the historic, self-imposed code of conduct in the weighing room, justified as safeguarding each other.
Part of that is due to a lack of faith among jockeys that everything is policed effectively by the officials and that careless and
