IHRB says audit will be independent as self-funded review begins

The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board has insisted there will be no concerns over the transparency or independence of an audit of its anti-doping procedures that it is funding itself.

Former New South Wales chief veterinary officer Craig Suann has been tasked with conducting the audit, which was called for in the aftermath of Jim Bolger's comments last June when he warned there would be a 'Lance Armstrong' in Irish racing. The IHRB has confirmed the project is now under way.

A 34-page report from the Oireachtas Agriculture Committee published in November saw the IHRB's anti-doping structures given a fairly resounding seal of approval. However, the parliamentary group, which heard some committee members accuse the IHRB of being self-regulating, highlighted the need for "an independent review of the horseracing industry by an outside body".