Owner banned for four years over online abuse

A racehorse owner has been disqualified from British racing for four years after being found guilty of a sustained campaign of online harassment and abuse against Leicestershire trainer Derek Shaw.

Ian Sellens, founder of the Million Dreams Racing syndicate, was sanctioned by a British Horseracing Authority (BHA) disciplinary panel over a series of posts on Facebook and X targeting Shaw and his yard, Derek Shaw Racing.

Sellens previously had two horses, Prince Abu and Trust Scout, trained by Shaw, but the relationship deteriorated in late 2023 amid a dispute over unpaid training fees that ultimately led to the horses being sold.

The BHA said that, following the dissolution of the syndicate in January 2025, Sellens embarked on a prolonged campaign designed to “vilify, humiliate, insult and belittle” Shaw and his family.

Posts criticised the performance of Shaw’s runners, alleged misconduct involving horses in the yard and encouraged negative comments from other social media users. Sellens also published messages purportedly from a stable employee that made disparaging remarks about Shaw’s wife, Lyndsey.

Despite receiving a caution and later a final warning from the BHA regarding his social media activity, Sellens continued posting. He denied the charges and claimed he no longer controlled the syndicate’s Facebook account, although the panel found he remained responsible for it.

The panel concluded that Sellens’ conduct amounted to harassment, online bullying and irresponsible use of social media. He was handed two consecutive two-year bans from British racing and fined £750. The BHA said the case demonstrated that online abuse within the sport would not be tolerated.