Banned substances seized after raid on Kildare farm

https://www.hri-ras.ie/information-centre/industry/trainers/

Committee finds no evidence that Irish doping rules fall below international standards ,,,

A report into horseracing by the Oireachtas Agriculture Committee has found no evidence that doping regulations fall below international standards.

The report was prompted by allegations from trainer Jim Bolger that drugs are Irish racing's number one problem.

It makes 11 recommendations, including that all favourites and those who finish in the top five of any race be mandatorily tested - using hair samples.

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

It also calls for a review of the composition of the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board, to address concerns over a lack of independent membership and gender balance.

The report, drafted by officials on behalf of Agriculture Committee chair Jackie Cahill, Fianna Fáil TD for Tipperary, calls on the IHRB to follow governance structures similar to those in the United States.

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" he added.Bolger, who first raised concerns about doping in the sport, did not appear before the Committee to give evidence during the research of the report.

Cahill said the recommendations in the report will give "100% confidence" to the public that the highest standards of doping testing are employed in Ireland.

Along with mandatory hair sampling of all favourites and top five finishers after each race, it also calls for facilities to allow for random testing to take place.

An independent review of the industry by an outside body, including a full audit of all tests previously carried out, is also recommended to "ensure that Ireland's drug testing procedures match international best practices", along with the installation of CCTV at all Irish racecourses and a system of equine traceability.

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

He added: "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 report also calls for greater transparency on the wage structure at IHRB.

Board members had declined requests to reveal their salaries at committee hearings investigating the claims made by Bolger.

Cahill said it was appropriate the salaries are made public, given that the IHRB is a publicly funded body.

He said the allegations about Irish racing had damaged the sport, and called on Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue to implement the recommendations as soon as possible.

He said: "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 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."

Two trainers caught up in raid on premises where banned substances were seized
Samples were taken from two trainers' horses at the scene
Samples were taken from two trainers' horses at the scene
Racing Post / Scott Burton
1 of 1
By Richard Forristal, Ireland editor
UPDATED 7:12PM, NOV 10 2021
 
A raid led by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) led to substances that are banned for use in racehorses being seized in Monasterevin, County Kildare on Tuesday.

The premises are understood to be the location from where a well-known British-based equine therapist operates, and there were horses in training present on the site during the raid.

It is understood the individual concerned is not a veterinary practitioner, but is someone who specialises in tendon and muscle problems and is commonly used by trainers across the spectrum in both Ireland and Britain. They have in the past been credited for getting some star horses back on track following leg problems.

The person involved, who did not want to comment when contacted on Wednesday, has also been used by high-profile participants in other equine disciplines and is a practitioner who has been operating on horses in Ireland and Britain for around 30 years.

There were other non-thoroughbred sport horses at the site during the inspection, and it is unclear at this stage whether there are specific concerns relating to thoroughbreds or horses in training.

The raid was led by DAFM, which, it is understood, had four officials there, along with three gardai. During the inspection, the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board was contacted and invited to attend, and a four-strong delegation led by the chief veterinary officer Dr Lynn Hillyer subsequently arrived.

Dr Lynn Hillyer: was present during the raid
Dr Lynn Hillyer: was present during the raid
It is understood two licensed trainers were on the premises, both of whom arrived after the department and gardai but before the IHRB. On arrival, the IHRB, which has jurisdiction over unlicensed premises since gaining authorised officer status last summer, then elected to take hair and blood samples from both of those trainers’ horses.

Sources have suggested the two trainers involved do not have any concerns about their role in the incident and that neither was questioned by the department officials or the gardai.

It is understood they were both there with horses with tendon issues and believe themselves to be inadvertently caught up in the situation and innocent of any wrongdoing. The therapist was questioned at the site and their phone and vehicle were seized along with the unlicensed remedies, before they were then taken to their Irish place of residence. The raid is believed to have come about based on intelligence following a tip-off.

The seizure took place on the day the IHRB’s anti-doping structures were given a vote of confidence by the cross-party Agriculture Committee, which on Tuesday published its report following hearings that were convened in the summer in the wake of Jim Bolger’s allegations that there would be a 'Lance Armstrong' in Irish racing and that illegal drug use was Irish racing’s number one problem.

The 34-page report concluded that the IHRB’s methods were “of the highest possible international standards”, effectively invalidating the allegations made by Bolger. Nonetheless, among its recommendations, it did call for an independent audit of the IHRB’s testing regime, which it has been reported will be led by the former New South Wales chief veterinary officer, Craig Suann.

It was also recommended "that the IHRB board composition be reviewed and that the lack of independent members and the lack of gender balance be examined". The IHRB is already understood to be taking steps to address those suggestions.

On Wednesday, the IHRB did not want to comment on what a spokesperson described as "an ongoing DAFM investigation".

A statement from DAFM said: "On Tuesday November 9, 2021, authorised 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."

Like something from a Richard Francis novel

bit harsh.

^^^^^^^^^^^Just what I was thinking but couldn't remember where in Ire NH sent it pre ch hurdle
Thought it began with a K

I do not think it was Henderson who sent Binocular to the Irish health resort.

I understand Ramruma
Did Binocular go 1000 in A/P market and was hopelessly out of form?

Ted Walsh and Liam Burke were the two unlucky trainers to be on the premises during the raid.

The FBI tipped off the Irish authorities  about a consignment of vetinary products en route to Ireland

Ted Walsh told RTE:

"sorry someone as high-profile as me in racing was even there.....wrong place at the wrong time"

Ted, what's the problem if you were doing nothing wrong?

noel meade says he and other trainers not happy with bolger or kimmich which probably means theres plenty to see

Aidan's head lad Tom Comerford is a director of the stud that was raided

The Prestbury Cup is going home next March the cheats are getting found out

From a Guardian article on this:

"When contacted for comment, Fahey and Kelly both told the paper that they had never sent horses to Warwick, while Bolger said that he had not used the therapist for about 20 years. All three subsequently expressed surprise that one of their horse boxes had been photographed at Ballintogher."

Surprise as in 'Nobody told me they were taking photographs!'

Second line , it HAS to be the Irish...

Ted makes it sound as if he just intended leaving his horse there to have its tendon lasered but this is common practice, all good horse vets have lasers and some smaller ones will hire it to you for a few days. A very good thing, painless and will certainly halve healing time but driving somewhere special just for some exceptional person to come over from England do do it. Nonsense!!

He [Warwick] added: “There were some products that were destined for Kuwait and I brought them with me because I was flying to Kuwait ..."

The products were just resting in his clinic.

sounds like this yard is busier than Clapham Junction, all these horses just passing through en route.

If it's true, what prompted a group of British trainers to hire a PI to go and do a 'stakeout' on this place?

What 'stories' had the British trainers heard and from who?

Did the 'reputation' of this place go before it?

My money's on Pierce Brosnan