Declan Queally handed ten-day ban under non-triers rule after IHRB referral

Jockey Declan Queally has been handed a ten-day ban under the non-triers' rule following an IHRB referral after the run of Merry Doyenne at Fairyhouse in January, with his father Declan, trainer of the mare, also fined €2,130 over the incident.

The Fairyhouse stewards had intended to hold a running-and-riding inquiry on the day of the race but were unable to complete one due to the trainer failing to make his authorised representative fully aware of the riding instructions.

The IHRB referrals committee was satisfied both the trainer and rider were in breach of rule 212(a)(ii) in that the horse was not seen to have been the subject of a genuine attempt to obtain from the horse a timely, real and substantial efforts to achieve the best possible place.

The rider was suspended for ten days, Merry Doyenne prohibited from racing for six weeks and the trainer handed two fines – €2,000 over the running-and-riding offence and €130 for not making his authorised representative aware of the riding instructions.

Two riders were also successful in their appeals against non-triers' rule breaches, seeing ten-day suspensions overturned. The decision to suspend Liam Gilligan over his ride on Oneknightmoreihope at Limerick in December was initially challenged, with his solicitor Patrick Kennedy making a number of submissions on behalf of his client regarding the fairness of rule 212 at the initial hearing on December 14.

The initial panel found that it could not support the argument made by the appellant "which is effectively to strike down part of the rules as unfair, unreasonable and irrational".

As a result of these submissions, the appeals body adjourned the matter to enable both parties to make further submissions and it was agreed they would be considered by a different panel of the body.

That panel ultimately was not satisfied that Gilligan was in breach of this rule and they allowed the appeal. Jockey Michael Molloy also saw his ban lifted on appeal, with the six-week suspension for his mount All The Best quashed too.

Among seven referral outcomes published by the regulator on Wednesday was a three-month racecourse ban and €400 fine for a groom who failed to answer his health screening questionnaire correctly before racing at Dundalk last month.

Gavin Dowling, representing trainer Jimmy Coogan, breached Covid-19 protocols when attending a fixture at Dundalk on February 19 after being abroad, with the handler deemed not responsible for the incident but still reminded of his responsibilities when sending staff to the races.

US trainer Keri Brion received confirmation that her talented novice French Light was disqualified from his Listed second at Punchestown last month, having carried the incorrect weight.

No sanction was imposed on Brion, with the committee noting correspondence from Horse Racing Ireland and accepting the incident was due to an administrative error.

Oliver McKiernan was fined €65 after failing to fit the correct declared headgear on Chief Of Police at Dundalk last month, while Liam Burke was handed a €250 penalty after bringing the incorrect horse to a Dromahane point-to-point last October, withdrawn on the day of the race.

Huntingdon rules out crowds until next season

Huntingdon has announced it will be unable to host spectators for the rest of the 2020-21 jumps season even if the planned return of crowds to British racecourses from May 17 gets the go-ahead.

The Cambridgeshire track was forced into the decision after sustaining significant damage to its infrastructure, including its two grandstands, from the winter flooding that cost it three successive meetings in January and February.

Although the track has been able to meet protocols to allow it to race behind closed doors since then, having crowds back has been ruled out until next season.

Clerk of the course Jack Pryor said: "We've been significantly affected by sustained flooding this winter, which has been the worst in recent memory. The required investigative and restorative work to repair damage to some of our facilities is already under way.

"However, although spectators may be able to attend racecourses in limited numbers from May 17, we've taken the view that given the amount of repair work needed, we won't be able to welcome spectators back in that timescale. Therefore, our meetings on May 18 and May 31 will take place without racegoers present."

The loss of spectators at the May 18 fixture is a particular blow as it is the annual ladies' evening at the track, one of the most popular meetings of the year.

Pryor added: "We apologise for any disappointment this may cause. We are doing all that we can to ensure the necessary work is completed as soon as possible and we look forward to welcoming racegoers back at the first meeting of the 2021-22 season on October 5."

BHA urges extra vigilance after equine herpes outbreak in showjumping

The BHA has urged anyone who works in racing and has close links to showjumping to be "extra vigilant" following an outbreak of equine herpes in Europe.

The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board has described the situation as serious and one that will require extra vigilance from industry stakeholders, although there reportedly have been no thoroughbreds impacted by the current outbreak.

Equestrian events in ten European countries were cancelled until March 28 by governing body the FEI due to the "rapid evolution of a very aggressive strain of the neurological form of Equine Herpes Virus (EHV-1)" which originated in Spain.

Stakeholders have been contacted by James Given, the BHA's director of equine welfare, to warn of the risks and to ensure that those with showjumping links "be extra vigilant and to ensure they adhere to the highest standards of biosecurity."

A BHA spokesman added the regulator was "not aware of transmission outside of showjumpers at this point."

IHRB chief veterinary officer and head of anti-doping Dr Lynn Hillyer said said: "The IHRB have been monitoring developments in conjunction with the Irish Equine Centre, Horse Sport Ireland, the FEI and other European racing jurisdictions in relation to the cases of paralytic herpes virus in Spain.

"Whilst no thoroughbreds have yet been reported as affected as a result of the outbreak and it is understood that no Irish riders have travelled from the event to Ireland, this is a serious situation needing vigilance on the part of trainers, breeders and veterinary surgeons."

She added: "The Irish Equine Centre have advised that veterinary surgeons should consider advising their clients to isolate and test horses arriving from the continent at this time."

Ireland's minister for agriculture food and the marine, Charlie McConalogue has also urged all players in the equine industry to respond to the increased risk that this poses to the equine population in Ireland and to double down on their biosecurity practices and measures.

"I am aware that Irish horses have been competing across Europe in recent weeks," he said.

"My officials met with representatives of Horse Sport Ireland and the Irish Equine Centre yesterday, March 2, to develop an appropriate risk mitigating response."

He added: "Whilst this is not a notifiable disease, given the extent that the virus seems to have spread across Europe and the description of the clinical outcome, I strongly endorse the recommendation from that meeting that all those competing horses, on returning to Ireland follow the EHV-1 protocol for returning FEI horses, to isolate and carry out two PCR tests prior to completing quarantine."

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