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Cheltenham Festival-winning trainer Tony Martin has been slapped with a six-month suspension of his licence that has been suspended for two years after his January Dundalk winner Firstman tested positive for lidocaine.
An Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board referrals panel that reconvened on November 27 to complete the investigation warned that another anti-doping breach within two years would immediately trigger the suspension. It is the third time in four years a horse trained by Martin has tested positive for a banned substance, after Moonmeister was disqualified from a Curragh win in 2019 after testing positive for a corticosteroid, as was last year's Down Royal bumper winner Patsy's Honour.
As well as his suspended sentence, Martin has been hit with fines totalling €11,000, with the findings against him including one under the rule that covers bringing racing into disrepute. Firstman was disqualified with Adamaris promoted in his stead.
The report noted that 3-Hydroxylidocaine, a metabolite of lidocaine, is a local anaesthetic used to block pain that is prohibited on raceday. Martin proposed that the finding may have come about due to contaminated bedding at the racetrack, which was rejected by the panel, while an unannounced IHRB inspection at his yard on February 1 did not identify the source of the substance.
The hearing also heard that Firstman had been administered Cartrophen – which has anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties and was said by the IHRB's head of anti-doping Dr Lynn Hillyer to be "used to treat osteoarthritis in horses" – twice by two separate vets, Edele Gray and Donncha Houlihan, on the day before the race in question. Hillyer concluded that Firstman "must have had an issue that needed treating" but it wasn't established what that issue was.
Houlihan was also reported to have the same day administered Sarablock, which is described variously online as a form of nerve blocker.
All blood and hair samples taken from the nine horses in the yard on February 1, including Firstman, returned negative, which the IHRB panel felt pointed to it being "unlikely" Firstman was administered the lidocaine on the premises. Hillyer concluded that it would have had to be administered within hours of the sample being taken on raceday.
However, during the yard inspection it was discovered that Martin's medicines register had not been updated since August 2022 and that "a large number of veterinary medicinal products, including supplements, equine influenza vaccines, needles, syringes and vacutainers for taking blood samples were identified, many of which did not have an accompanying prescription or label".
An Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board referrals panel that reconvened on November 27 to complete the investigation warned that another anti-doping breach within two years would immediately trigger the suspension. It is the third time in four years a horse trained by Martin has tested positive for a banned substance, after Moonmeister was disqualified from a Curragh win in 2019 after testing positive for a corticosteroid, as was last year's Down Royal bumper winner Patsy's Honour.
As well as his suspended sentence, Martin has been hit with fines totalling €11,000, with the findings against him including one under the rule that covers bringing racing into disrepute. Firstman was disqualified with Adamaris promoted in his stead.
The report noted that 3-Hydroxylidocaine, a metabolite of lidocaine, is a local anaesthetic used to block pain that is prohibited on raceday. Martin proposed that the finding may have come about due to contaminated bedding at the racetrack, which was rejected by the panel, while an unannounced IHRB inspection at his yard on February 1 did not identify the source of the substance.
The hearing also heard that Firstman had been administered Cartrophen – which has anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties and was said by the IHRB's head of anti-doping Dr Lynn Hillyer to be "used to treat osteoarthritis in horses" – twice by two separate vets, Edele Gray and Donncha Houlihan, on the day before the race in question. Hillyer concluded that Firstman "must have had an issue that needed treating" but it wasn't established what that issue was.
Houlihan was also reported to have the same day administered Sarablock, which is described variously online as a form of nerve blocker.
All blood and hair samples taken from the nine horses in the yard on February 1, including Firstman, returned negative, which the IHRB panel felt pointed to it being "unlikely" Firstman was administered the lidocaine on the premises. Hillyer concluded that it would have had to be administered within hours of the sample being taken on raceday.
However, during the yard inspection it was discovered that Martin's medicines register had not been updated since August 2022 and that "a large number of veterinary medicinal products, including supplements, equine influenza vaccines, needles, syringes and vacutainers for taking blood samples were identified, many of which did not have an accompanying prescription or label".
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The ultimate trainer for me, in the past two decades, that if he has a runner in a race, I just leave it completely alone.
I've heard/read that quite a lot of others do too, which, objectively, is bad for racing, in general. 'Tony Martin to the Stewards Room, please' ought to be a more regular tannoy announcement on Irish racecourses |
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Mind you, very much going through a cold spell, with only around a couple of winners from his last 100 runners
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Does make you wonder what you have to do to actually get a ban, if three doping cases is a "suspended sentence".
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Ridiculous that this person is even allowed on a racecourse let alone continue to train horses.
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If a trainer regularly sails very close to the wind and chastises by the IHRB and despite this IHRB issues a sanction of 6 months suspended for 2 years is crass and unfit for office. What does the trainer need to do to be excluded from the sport immediately?
Assuming the past indictments were rightly and legally achieved I'm without a shadow of doubt Mr Martin ought to have been suspended immediately post this latest violation with a history of repeated flouting or incursion of the terms and conditions of being a horse trainer in Ireland. Un unsuitable horse trainer has no place in horseracing anywhere let alone in Ireland where the most successful stable and onwers are based. This latest decision by the IHRB is wholly SHOCKING! |
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The headline says he’s been slapped with a suspension then the text says he hasn’t. Usual rubbish from Racing Post.
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scoobydoo = gordon elliot
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Autocue 15 Dec 23 11:36
The headline says he’s been slapped with a suspension then the text says he hasn’t. 6mths suspended for 2yrs..simple enuff. |
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Creatures licence should have been taken away decades ago. Along with that other goose byrnes. Racing don't need these 2.
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Tony Martin and the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) have lodged appeals against the findings of an IHRB referrals panel which last week handed the trainer a six-month suspension of his licence, suspended for two years, and fines totalling €11,000 after Firstman tested positive for lidocaine at Dundalk in January.
It is a similar scenario to the Luke Comer doping scandal earlier this year, in which the trainer and the regulator both lodged appeals against the findings of the panel but as of yet a date for that appeal hearing has yet to be set. It looks like Ireland's latest doping saga is set to rumble on, too, after the IHRB revealed on Wednesday that it was not satisfied with the leniency of the sanctions imposed on Martin and had decided to lodge its own appeal. The trainer himself has lodged an appeal against the severity of the sanctions. Niall Cronin, communications manager for the IHRB, said: "The IHRB has lodged an appeal under Rule 27(i)(b) against the decision of the referrals committee in respect of the undue leniency of the cumulative sanctions imposed on Mr Martin earlier this month. Mr Martin has lodged an appeal against the severity of the fine imposed for breaches of Rules 96(a), 148(i) and 272(i)." Richard Forristal: The IHRB is judged on deeds not words - and 2023 has been a shambles Martin's six-month suspension of his licence was suspended for two years, although another anti-doping breach within that time would immediately trigger the suspension. It is the third time in four years a horse trained by Martin has tested positive for a banned substance, after Moonmeister was disqualified from a Curragh win in 2019 after testing positive for a corticosteroid, as was last year's Down Royal bumper winner Patsy's Honour. The report into Firstman's failed test noted that 3-Hydroxylidocaine, a metabolite of lidocaine, is a local anaesthetic used to block pain that is prohibited on raceday. Martin said the finding may have come about due to contaminated bedding at the racetrack, which was rejected by the panel, while an unannounced IHRB inspection at his yard on February 1 did not identify the source of the substance. The hearing also heard that Firstman had been administered Cartrophen – which has anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties and was said by the IHRB's head of anti-doping Dr Lynn Hillyer to be "used to treat osteoarthritis in horses" – twice by two separate vets, Edele Gray and Donncha Houlihan, on the day before the race in question. Hillyer concluded that Firstman "must have had an issue that needed treating" but it wasn't established what that issue was. Houlihan was also reported to have the same day administered Sarablock, which is described variously online as a form of nerve blocker. |
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This saga is beyond comprehension: The trainer with a string of infringements over the last 4 years is complaining about the severity of the punishment imposed by IHRB referrals panel ie 6-months ban suspended over 2 years; the Irish Regulator (IHRB) however is complaining about the leniency of the punishment.
What an unsavoury state of affairs? This is embarrassing for Irish Horseracing. |
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Yes, yes Tony we know the sentance was draconian & we know everyone else is at it but you keep getting caught, ya fekkin eejit.
Why don't you try Willie's or Gordon's vets? They're never in here. Yer man must be doing sommat wrong. |
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IHRB do not touch big Irish stables. Maybe Mr Martin could ask closet whisperer of the Flat in Ireland a Mr Jim Bolger for advice.
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Should be ban for life, end of
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Indeed. The bloke had 3 previous. 1 strike is bad; 3 strikes should be out for good without mitigation.
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Goose is moaning cos he got caught. Should have been locked away years ago.
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