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IHRB Hosts European Horserace Scientific Liaison Committee Conference

Veterinary regulatory and analytical experts gathered this week in Dublin for the biennial European Horserace Scientific Liaison Committee (EHSLC) conference.

Hosted by the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board, the conference began on Tuesday and concluded on Thursday and consisted of various working parties who held lengthy discussions relating to their expertise within the regulatory framework.

Delegates of racing regulators in Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Finland, Norway and Sweden were present, while members of the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC), the Japanese Racing Association (JRA), the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) and the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI) were also in attendance in an observatory capacity.

Speaking at the conference, IHRB Chief Veterinary Officer/Head of Anti-Doping, Lynn Hillyer said, “The IHRB is delighted to welcome and host this expert group in Dublin for important scientific veterinary and regulatory discussions. It is a critical part of our work to maintain close engagement with international horseracing bodies, exercising leadership where appropriate, to ensure consistency of regulatory standards as per our commitment to Integrity in our 2024-2027 Statement of Strategy. As Chair of the International Group of Specialist Regulatory Veterinarians (IGSRV), I believe that this meeting of European colleagues provides an invaluable opportunity to share best practice.”

The EHSLC was formed in 1992 following a discussion between the Stewards of France, Great Britain and Ireland on the need for greater co-operation in technical areas and their wish to encourage co-operation in research to successfully counter future challenges concerning the control of prohibited substances in racing.

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New Equine Anti-Doping And Medication Control Initiative Launched By BHA And IHRB

A new equine anti-doping and medication control initiative was announced by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) and the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) on Thursday. The initiative underpins their commitment to the regulation of medicine use and zero tolerance of doping in horse racing on both sides of the Irish Sea.

The IHRB and BHA are now formally conducting joint out-of-competition-testing operations across both jurisdictions. These inspections started this week with almost 250 samples taken from more than 120 horses that are entered for the upcoming Cheltenham Festival in an operation across 14 training premises in Ireland over the last two days.

In Ireland, the organisations will work together and operate under IHRB Standard Operating Procedures, and all samples will be considered as IHRB samples. BHA protocols will be in effect when the BHA and IHRB are working together in the UK, and they will be under BHA jurisdiction. In both instances, there will be transparent exchange of any adverse results or screening findings that arise from these tests, with all samples being tested by LGC Laboratory, one of six laboratories worldwide which is recognised as a referenced laboratory by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA).

Dr Lynn Hillyer, chief veterinary officer for the IHRB, said, “The IHRB Strategy 2024-2027 commits us to close engagement with international horseracing bodies and benchmarking ourselves against best international practice. This new venture shows stakeholders and the racing public that we collaborate as professionals across both sides of the Irish Sea, sharing best practice and resources and demonstrating equally stringent regulatory processes and standards to the extent that our anti-doping and medication control programmes are interoperable.”

James Given, director of Equine Regulation, Safety and Welfare, said, “Not only will our Medication Control and Anti-Doping (MCAD) team have access to more information about visiting horses, but there will be opportunities for our wider team to share ideas and best practice in other areas of our work.”

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Final Leg of 2023 Corinthian Challenge Set for Saturday

The final race of this year's three-race Corinthian Challenge is set to take place at Leopardstown on Saturday, Oct. 21. The Corinthian Challenge Charity Race Series provides aid to Injured Irish Jockeys and has raised in excess of €500,000 since its inception in 2016.

Corinthians participate in three races during the course of the challenge, each time at a different racecourse. Kildare man Damien Moore is currently on top of the leaderboard with 17 points, followed by Michael O'Neill and Martina Dempsey with 10 points each and Katy Brown and Niamh Ashe with five points, closely followed by Aimee Murphy with three points.

“In 2014 IIJ [Injured Irish Jockeys] was set up to increase awareness and raise vital funds to support our injured jockeys,” IIJ Chairman Ruby Walsh said. “The Corinthian Challenge is our biggest annual fundraiser, and we salute all those who participate in it each year. I wish all the contenders the very best of luck in Leopardstown next weekend, I hope they enjoy every minute of it because they are all stars! The Challenge could not exist without the continued support of trainers, owners and stable staff of competing horses and the co-operation of participating racecourses and IHRB officials. We are really grateful to all these people.”

To find out more about each challenger and to support them, visit the Corinthian Challenge website.

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Positive Drugs Tests: Trainer Luke Comer Banned For Three Years

Trainer Luke Comer has had his licence suspended for three years over positive drugs tests and ordered to pay over €750,000 in costs by the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB).

The billionaire owner-trainer, who is also a major sponsor of Irish racing under the Comer Group banner, has seven days to lodge an appeal.

The suspension will begin on January 1, 2024, and is the result of a long-running investigation carried out by the IHRB, with the regulator describing the case as “unprecedented”.

As well as being ordered to pay the €750,000 in costs relating to the case, Comer was hit with €85,000 in total fines after 12 horses in his care tested positive for anabolic steroids.

He Knows No Fear, who became the longest-priced winner in Irish racing history when landing a Leopardstown maiden at odds of 300-1 in 2020, is at the centre of what is one of the biggest doping scandals the country has seen.

A hair sample from He Knows No Fear, taken after he finished fourth in the Listed Trigo Stakes at Leopardstwon in October 2021, was found to have contained MD and MT.

A further 11 horses also tested positive for anabolic steroids following out of competition testing carried out by the IHRB at Comer's yard in November 2021.

Along with He Knows No Fear, samples were taken from Old Tom Higgins, Boxing Hero, Grand D'Espagne, Aircraft Carrier, Powerful Don, Wee Jim, Great Moon, Our Man Flint, Questionare, Green Force and Blyto. All tests returned positive.

Comer denied that he or any of his staff were involved in the doping of the 12 horses at an extensive hearing that took place at the IHRB headquarters on the Curragh.

The 65-year-old has been involved in racing for over three decades and his first big-race victory was achieved with Chimes At Midnight in a Group 3 at the Curragh in 2001.

Since then, Comer has been associated with another Group 3 scorer in Kargali, while Raa Atoll provided him with his biggest day on a racecourse when landing a Group 2 contest at Hoppegarten in German in 2019. Last year was Comer's best in terms of numbers with 11 winners recorded domestically from 254 runs.

His extensive sponsorship of Irish racing through Comer Group features the €600,000 Irish St Leger, a race that was won last weekend by Eldar Eldarov, and the Irish St Leger Trial.

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