This follows the decision by the NSW Racing Appeals Tribunal not to waive a penalty given to him for his involvement in helping Taree trainer Jim Delaney, who was outed by stewards for three years concerning the same matter.

It involved treatment given to a unraced three-year-old filly owned by Delaney at that trainer’s stable.

Bashford fought the decision to prosecute him, engaging legal advice and the original 18 months disqualification was reduced to 12 months last week on appeal.

“I am totally devastated…I am shocked with the decision…I never thought I would cop that,” he said.

“I was only trying to help, it wasn’t an act of cruelty, it wasn’t my horse.

“I am not going to further pursue the matter…it costs a lot of money.”

Bashford said he had been a servant to the industry since the mid 1960s and at the age of 73 the outing had left him disillusioned.

A property with new house and paddocks for agistment for racehorses recently bought at Taree by him will be sold and all his racehorses are destined for the same decision or being transferred to other trainers.

Bashford has had many champion gallopers under his ownership and care in training more than 700 winners, they scoring in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and Hong Kong.

“It is a shame I have been forced out of the industry,’’ Bashford said.

“I can remember my first winner Just By Chance.

“It won at Scone and I had four hundred on it at 10-1 odds and I thought how long has this been going on.

“Now I wish it had been beat as I may have taken another path,”he said.

Some of his big winners were Diamond Benny (two Lightning Handicaps), No Saint, Hidden Star, Ambassador Club and Steel City (22 starts for six wins and eight placings before being sold to Hon Kong).

But one of his best was his grey Cangronde which won 14 of its first 15 starts, starting with a big maiden win at Walcha in February, 1997.

In 30 starts,it had 15 wins and grabbed prizemoney of $612,000.

I had the privilege of knowing Bashford before Cangronde won the Ramornie Handicap at Grafton in July 1996 and he freely tipped it to win before the race, the celebrations after still a vivid memory.

Of late, he has had a couple of capable youngsters in Ever So Natural and Ocean Grand.

Ever So Natural has had 23 starts for four wins and nine placings,was second in the Mid North Coast heat to the Country Championships at The Championships at Royal Randwick, a race in which it finished third.

Ocean Grand was on the same path but broke down and only a week or so ago began racing again after a wind, knee and feet operations or treatment.

Although it only won three races, he believes on potential it is the best galloper he has trained.

“Unfortunately, he is hard to keep in one piece.”

Ever So Natural is under offer but all his other gallopers and recently bought yearlings have been sold on or are with other trainers.

He is keen to write a book and already has its title—“Memoirs of a Disgruntled, Disqualified Trainer.”