THE Chelmsford City Racecourse chairman has denied its former owner is involved in its revival after allegations published in a Private Eye article.
Joe Scanlon claimed John Holmes, who ended his 12-year ownership of the land when he was forced to announce himself bankrupt owing almost £25 million in 2009, has "no control or influence".
An October 3 edition of the investigatory magazine claimed Holmes is involved because his son Jonathan, girlfriend Jill Turner and "right-hand man" Gary Disley are all shareholders in Bet Solutions Ltd, which part-owns the racecourse.
It also claims the council planning application for six generators and six liquefied petroleum gas tanks at the ground, submitted on August 4 and approved four days later, was written in Ms Turner's handwriting.
She is on bail, along with Mr Holmes, of nearby Moulsham Hall Lane, over allegations of a £2.4 million VAT fraud connected with the racing industry.
Mr Scanlon said: "John Holmes has no control or influence over the day-to-day management of the racecourse and what he does in his private life and what is then printed in Private Eye is nothing to do with us.
"He can be an adviser to the other shareholders, he is not barred from doing that, and that is a matter for them.
"We run the racecourse and make the decisions that need to be taken."
