What would happen if Bob Baffert wanted a runner in Britain?

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Bob Baffert's success in Saturday's Dubai World Cup raised many an eyebrow and perhaps even turned a few stomachs, judging by the reaction on social media to a trainer whose name is often prefaced by the word "controversial" these days.

His ability to compete in parts of his home country is in dispute right now and his medication record has become one of the most talked-about subjects in US racing, so it's not surprising that some followers of the sport are uneasy at the sight of him going to Dubai and landing a £5m prize.

So, could it happen here? If Baffert were minded to send over a contender for, say, the Coventry Stakes or the Queen Anne, would he be allowed to have a runner in Britain?

The Front Runner went to the BHA for clarity but the answer that came back was complex and appears to amount to this: we'll make that decision if we have to, when we have to, based on the circumstances that prevail at the time.

"The BHA are signatories to the IFHA International Agreement," a spokesperson told me, "and in that respect apply the reciprocation framework as set out within that agreement. Any case, whether it’s Bob Baffert or anyone else, would be considered on its own set of circumstances within that reciprocation framework.

"If a sanction has or has not been imposed, is just one aspect of whether entries from a particular trainer or ownership group may be considered. There may be other factors, but that’s relevant to the individual circumstances of the matter at hand."

Saturday's success by Country Grammer makes Baffert topical but perhaps this was an unfairly timed question on my part because Baffert's status is in the balance and expected to be the subject of further debate in court this week. He is contesting a 90-day suspension imposed last month by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, a punishment for Medina Spirit's betamethasone positive from last year's Kentucky Derby and which also took into account other medication violations.

Bob Baffert: landed the Dubai World Cup on SaturdayCredit: Edward Whitaker

That suspension was due to begin almost three weeks ago on 8th March but Baffert is mounting an appeal and persuaded a circuit court judge last week to delay the start of the suspension until 4th April, next Monday. A 90-day suspension from that day would block Baffert from taking any part in this year's Triple Crown races and put him out of action until the end of June, as reciprocation would be expected in other US states and other countries.

The argument advanced on Baffert's behalf is that starting the suspension now means he will miss opportunities to win major races that cannot be restored if he is eventually successful in his appeal. Reports from last week say the judge took a different view, that any loss arising from missing races "would be monetary and not irreparable" raising the prospect of Baffert suing for loss of earnings if his appeal is ultimately successful.

Baffert's lawyers responded by announcing they would take the case to the Kentucky Court of Appeals and, given the urgency, one imagines we'll be hearing more about that legal procedure this week.

In the meantime, Baffert and his owners have evidently agreed that four promising colts should be moved to other trainers with a view to competing in the Kentucky Derby in May, for which there is still just enough time to qualify. "It’s great for the fans and the sport," Baffert was quoted as saying by the LA Times. "The fans deserve to see these horses run."

Adding to the tension, a decision is awaited following a disciplinary hearing by the New York Racing Association held in January, which could result in Baffert being suspended from making entries at Saratoga, Belmont Park and Aqueduct. Baffert is also suing Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby, over a two-year ban on him running horses there, which he hopes to have lifted.

It's a really serious quantity of legal activity, easily enough to distract some of us from the day job. Somehow, Baffert has managed to win a top-class race from a distance of 8,000 miles while wading through this mire.

Of course, winning on the track has seemed a straightforward matter for him for a very long time. The big question now is, can he win in court?

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The Front Runner is our latest email newsletter available exclusively to Members' Club Ultimate subscribers. Chris Cook, a four-time Racing Reporter of the Year award winner, provides his take on the day's biggest stories and tips for the upcoming racing every morning from Monday to Friday