IHRB

Trainer Stephen Mahon, who was banned in June for a period of four years for animal neglect, will be investigated by the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) after allegedly interfering with the post-race sample collection of one of his former horses, the Racing Post reported on Sunday evening. Stormey (Ire) (September Storm {Ger}), a horse formerly trained by Mahon, ran third in the Tipperary Racecourse Beginners Chase. The incident took place at Tipperary and was reported to the stewards by IHRB veterinary assistant Avena O'Keeffe. She alleged that Mahon "was...

The first hearing of the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board in front of a Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine began in Ireland on Thursday, with the IHRB defending itself rigorously. The IHRB has come under pressure recently regarding concerns over doping in Irish racing following Irish trainer Jim Bolger's claims in a newspaper interview that there would be a "Lance Armstrong" moment in the Irish industry. Irish Government committee members asked questions of Horse Racing Ireland's Chief Executive Brian Kavanagh, IHRB Chief Executive Denis Egan and IHRB Chief...

Following Irish trainer Jim Bolger voicing his concerns on doping in Irish racing this past weekend, a strong statement against doping was issued by the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board on Monday evening. The statement read: "Following comments made recently, the IHRB can once again stress there is a zero-tolerance approach to doping in Irish racing and we operate to the highest level using LGC Laboratories in Newmarket, who are one of five International Federation Horseracing Authorities certified laboratories in the world, and the same laboratory used by the British Horseracing...

Irish amateur jockey Rob James, who was shown climbing aboard and sitting astride a dead horse in an eight-second video that circulated on social media last week, has received a 12-month suspension of his qualified riders license and handlers permit from the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board, which tweeted the result of its investigation late on Wednesday evening. The last eight months of the ban have been suspended by the IHRB, though terms of the suspension were not immediately disclosed. The statement from the IHRB reads as follows: "The Referrals Committee,...

Irish National Hunt trainer Gordon Elliott has said that he is "paying a very heavy price" but that he has no complaints after being handed a 12-month suspension by the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB), with the last six months of the ban suspended. While it has been announced that the latter second half of the ban has been suspended, it has yet to be announced for how long that suspension would apply and what level of offence would cause it to be triggered. Elliott has not been fined but...

Following the appearance of a distressing image of Gordon Elliott sitting astride a dead horse on his gallops, a further video has emerged from a separate stable of a jockey pretending to ride what appears to be another dead horse stricken on the gallops. The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB), which is already investigating the circumstances surrounding the photo showing leading National Hunt trainer Elliott, has indicated that it is now doing the same in regard to the eight-second video clip, which is believed to have been filmed at an...

Leading National Hunt trainer Gordon Elliott, the subject of a firestorm this weekend after a photo of him sitting on a dead horse was circulated over the weekend, admitted that the photo was genuine. Hours after saying he would cooperate with investigators without specifically addressing the validity of the photo, he relented and said that the photo was real. The photo shows Elliott sitting astride a stricken horse on the ground. In it, the trainer is making a peace sign. Some versions circulated have the caption "New work rider." His...

Three-time Grand National-winning trainer Gordon Elliott is fully cooperating with the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB)'s inquiry into a disputed photo allegedly displaying Elliott sitting on a dead horse, the BBC reported on Sunday. The image, which some believe to be digitally altered, appears to show Elliott making a peace gesture while sitting on a dead horse lying on its side and captioned "new work rider". "I'm aware of a photo circulating on social media," the trainer tweeted late on Saturday night. "The IHRB have been in contact with me...

The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board can gain access to and test-by blood, hair or urine sample--every Thoroughbred in the country, on licensed or unlicensed premises, without notice after being granted Authorised Officer status by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. The announcement was part of a wide range of new measures and funding unveiled on Friday as part of Irish racing's anti-doping strategy. These also include the announcement of the planned development of a whole-of-life Thoroughbred traceability system, including 30-day foal notifications; the issuing of e-passports, beginning with...