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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The trials, restricted to unraced juveniles and 3-year-olds, are operated by Irish Thoroughbred Marketing (ITM) and backed by the Irish European Breeders' Fund (IEBF) and the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB). The 2023 edition will be back on turf for the first time since 2019, and all the trials will be conducted over six and seven furlongs. Notable graduates of the trials include Group 1 winner A Case Of You (Ire) (Hot Streak {Ire}) and Group 3 winner Caroline Street (No Nay Never).

All of the trials are recorded, timed, and made available to view online shortly after their running on the ITM website and social media. In addition, there will also be a live steam of the trials on the ITM YouTube channel. For more information, please visit the ITM website.

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He was found to have breached the Rule 212A (i) by the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) stewards who also slapped his jockey Gearoid Brouder with a 21-day suspension. Ellaat was also banned from running for 90 days.

It is not the first time the multiple Cheltenham Festival-winning trainer has felt the wrath of Irish racing's regulators in recent times. Back in January 2021, Byrnes had his licence suspended for six months after Viking Hoard was found to have tested positive for a sedative after a race at Tramore in which he was laid to lose for a substantial sum of money.

Ellaat, who races in the colours of Byrnes's son Cathal, flashed home to finish an eye-catching fourth under restrained riding (video). Brouder stated that his instructions for the race were to get his mount to relax, as the horse had made a noise previously, and do his best from there.

During the race, Ellaat was reported to have made a noise, hung right in the home straight and took some time to pull up after the finishing line.

The stewards at Gowran Park noted that Ellaat was observed by an IHRB Veterinary Officer and found to be coughing after the race but was otherwise normal and “not inconvenienced in any way at the time.” The betting patterns of the race were also referred on to a senior racing official for further investigation.

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Slade Runner won a Dundalk handicap in January and returned a cobalt reading higher than the international threshold. After the cobalt positive, there was a joint inspection of Cotter's yard by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine (DAFM) and officers of the IHRB on Feb. 3. Cotter was found to be in breach of Rule 96(a), that disqualified the winner, Slade Runner, and that both the stake and prize-money were forfeited. The IHRB Committee fined Cotter €2,500 for this rule breach.

A number of charges were also brought against Cotter after the yard inspection, with the trainer in breach of a number of provisions under Rule 148:

• No medicines register was maintained by the trainer prior to February of 2021 for any of his horses.
• Used syringes and needles were left lying in a number of locations in the premises, with Cotter stating he had no knowledge of their presence and had not used them.
• The presence also of a large number of unused syringes and needles in the barn.
• The apparent general use of veterinary medicines, other than under veterinary supervision which suggested that Cotter was self-medicating some of the horses in his care.
• The apparent administration via intravenous injection of medicines without veterinary oversight, contrary to proper procedures.
• Reckless disregard to the potential effects or consequences to administering the cobalt drench to Slade Runner in particular.

Although the IHRB Referrals Committee did not find Cotter in breach of the rules for possession of illegal substances in his yard or in breach of Rule 273(xiii), they noted that his conduct was that of a serious nature. They imposed a €5,000 fine in respect of a breach of Rule 148(I), in reference that the trainer is responsible for everything connected with the welfare, training and running of all horses under the care of that trainer and that Slade Runner was administered cobalt the day before the race. A €20,000 fine was leveled against Cotter in respect to a breach of Rule 148(iii) in that he had failed to maintain his medicines register, failed to ensure that he and each of his staff having access to medicines were fully conversant with the rules and regulations relating to prohibited substances and that he had failed to be responsible for the safe keeping and administration of medicines having failed to securely lock the medicine cabinet.

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Jason Morris, Horse Racing Ireland's director of racing, said, “In 2021 HRI extended the break for our leading jump jockeys from 12 to 24 days during June, which was very well received. The changes announced today, which were proposed by the Irish Jockeys' Association, will mean that we will likewise have doubled the break period for the leading Flat jockeys from 14 to 28 days, while at the same time increasing opportunities for other riders at the start of the year.”

Jennifer Pugh, the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board's senior medical officer, said, “Following on from the extended break for National Hunt jockeys in June of this year, it is encouraging to see HRI take a similar approach for Flat jockeys. With a busy all-weather season now in place, in what was typically the off-season for Flat jockeys, they now remain busy for 12 months of the year, with no opportune time for rest and recuperation while racing continues. The mental health issues and high level of burnout faced by jockeys have been well documented by the Irish Jockey Research Group, so it is welcome to see the findings and recommendations of these studies come to fruition to further enhance jockey wellbeing.”

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“As this is part of an ongoing investigation working in conjunction with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and other agencies, we cannot make any further comment at this time,” the IHRB's statement concluded.

According to racingpost.com, that yard was the operation of equine therapist John Warwick, and the DAFM confiscated from him animal medications not licensed for use in Ireland.

There are reported to have been four Thoroughbreds tested at the yard. Two arrived at the yard during the raid with trainer Liam Burke; one of those, Samos Island, was in that day at Fairyhouse but was withdrawn by the IHRB. Another arriving during the raid is trained by Ted Walsh, who said the horse had a tendon injury to be scanned. Jessica Harrington trains the last, which she said was to be receiving non-medical laser treatments on a tendon.

Read more at racingpost.com.

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The IHRB's statement read, “the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board can today confirm that the hair and blood samples taken from horses at a premises near Monasterevin, County Kildare, on 9th November 2021 have been analysed at LGC laboratories and reported negative for prohibited at all times substances. As this is part of an ongoing investigation working in conjunction with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and other agencies, we cannot make any further comment at this time.”

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The location is reported to be the operation of a widely-used equine therapy practitioner, who was not identified. Both Thoroughbreds and sport horses were on site during Tuesday's raid.

The DAFM had four representatives on site, with three gardai, and the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board later sent four representatives to the location as well. The IHRB elected to take hair and blood samples from two licensed trainers whose horses were on the premises, but both trainers reportedly believe themselves to be inadvertently caught up in the situation and innocent of any wrongdoing.

A statement from the DAFM read: “On Tuesday ,Nov. 9, 2021, authorized officers acting on behalf of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine carried out an enforcement operation supported by Gardai attached to the Kildare/Laois drug unit and officers from the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board. This Department-led operation involved searches and seizure of products as part of an ongoing investigation into equine doping. As this is an ongoing investigation, it would not be appropriate to make any further comment at this time.”

Read more at racingpost.com.

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Agriculture Committee Chair Jackie Cahill said, “We're happy that the testing standards in Irish racing are of the highest possible international standards.

“There was a lot of comments in the media and to restore public confidence, we felt that transparency was very important. That is coming out clearly in this report.

“The IHRB, there's no question that they're doing the testing to the highest possible standards. But to meet the modern criteria that's there, I think greater transparency was needed. That's where a lot of our recommendations are coming from.”

“At no stage was there any evidence found that the testing regulations in Ireland were anything but the highest possible international standards.”

Other recommendations of the report are detailed as follws: an independent review of Irish racing should be conducted by an outside body, with a full audit of all tests previously carried out, to “ensure that Ireland's drug testing procedures match international best practices”; that CCTV be installed at all Irish racecourses; and that a system of equine traceability be created.

“For the public out there, whether it's for the betting public or the general public, to ensure that this kind of comprehensive testing will ensure that everyone is fully convinced that there can be no wrongdoing involved in horse racing in Ireland,” Cahill added on Tuesday.

“I think this recommendation would be a comprehensive testing post-race, will give the public 100% confidence that the highest standards are being employed and that there is a very comprehensive testing regime in place.

“The comments that appeared in the media did do reputational damage to the sport. There's no point in me denying that and that was the basis of why we initiated this report. I think these changes to bring transparency to the IHRB would do an awful lot in restoring that public confidence. I would hope that the minister would set about implementing our recommendations as quickly as possible.”

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Ruby Walsh, former champion jockey and chairman of the Irish Injured Jockeys, said, “I suppose I wasn't shocked when I saw the results of the survey the Irish Horse Racing Regulatory Board commissioned. I have been around in the racing world long enough to see the highs and the lows, so whilst it didn't shock me, it did upset me.

“After consultation with Dr [Jennifer] Pugh [IHRB medical director] and [sports psychology consultant] Ciara Losty, Irish Injured Jockeys were happy to fund the Leafyard app, which I think is an innovative, action-driven, practical solution to support everyone in the weigh room.”

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