Trainer David "Butch" Londregan was likened to a Banjo Paterson character at a hearing into comments he made at the height of the jumps racing controversy, earlier this month.Londregan was fined $5,000 of which $4,000 was suspended when the Racing Appeals and Disciplinary Board found him guilty on Monday of conduct prejudicial to the image of racing over threats to kill his horses if jumps racing was banned in Victoria.Londregan, 54, told various media outlets he would video his horses being sho

Trainer David "Butch" Londregan was likened to a Banjo Paterson character at a hearing into comments he made at the height of the jumps racing controversy, earlier this month.

Londregan was fined $5,000 of which $4,000 was suspended when the Racing Appeals and Disciplinary Board found him guilty on Monday of conduct prejudicial to the image of racing over threats to kill his horses if jumps racing was banned in Victoria.

Londregan, 54, told various media outlets he would video his horses being shot, have their heads cut off and sent to Racing Minister Rob Hulls, Racing Victoria Limited (RVL) and others.

His legal representative Brian Cash urged the RADB to show lenience.

"He's a credit to racing. He's enormously popular in the western district. He's an icon, a person Banjo Paterson was talking about (in his poems)," Cash said.

Cash said Londregan, who prepares six horses, had been involved in racing for 40 years and had an unblemished record.

Cash said Londregan had a democratic right to voice his disapproval at jumps racing being suspended just as Premier John Brumby said duck shooting protesters, who left dead ducks on the steps of parliament house, had.

In 20 years as a jumps jockey Londregan rode 200 winners including four Grand Annual Steeplechases at Warrnambool. He has been a trainer for 14 years.

Londregan made his controversial comments to the Warrnambool Standard on May 7, minutes after RVL chief executive Rob Hines announced the suspension of jumps racing in Victoria following the deaths of three horses at the Warrnambool carnival.

He repeated his comments on 3AW radio, ABC and Channel 7 television bulletins.

RADB chairman, Judge Russell Lewis, accepted Londregan had been shocked by a belief jumps racing was about to be banned which would have affected the livelihoods of himself and others.

James Ogilvie, representing the stewards, said Londregan's comments were detrimental to jumps racing and racing in general.

Londregan must pay the $1,000 by November 30. The other $4000 was suspended on his undertaking that he would not commit a similar offence in the next 12 months.