Denis Hogan: 'It's regrettable that the IHRB has decided to publish a self-serving press release'

Denis Hogan has said his legal team will still make submissions to the referrals committee in the Yuften hearing next week and lamented the fact the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board published what he described as a "self-serving press release" on Thursday when announcing that it would be stepping away from its own case. 

The betting patterns of a controversial claimer at Dundalk in March of 2020, when Tony The Gent was backed into 10-11 favourite and beat his drifting stablemate Yuften, have been investigated over the last three years and a hearing has been pencilled in for two days next week on November 10 and 11. 

However, news emerged on Thursday that the IHRB would not be giving evidence in the hearing following what it said was the belated production of expert veterinary reports.

Hogan said: "It is regrettable that the IHRB has decided to publish a self-serving press release in advance of the Referrals Committee hearing. We shall make our own submissions to the Committee at the appropriate forum shortly."

He was unwilling to make any further comment on the matter.

The statement from the IHRB read: "Following the recent belated production of relevant records and reports by the respondents, which had been sought by the IHRB since the initial stages of the investigation, the IHRB has decided that it does not intend to offer evidence at the hearing before the referrals committee – in effect a nolle prosequi [no wish to prosecute].

"It was appropriate on the day of the race that the matter would be referred for investigation and in the course of the investigation certain information was sought from the respondent. This evidence was not produced during interviews or at any other stage throughout the three years this investigation remained open, until October of this year when expert veterinary reports which provided context for the performance of the horse in the race in question were finally submitted."

This latest development means that Hogan no longer has a case to answer and is unlikely to face any sanction with regard to Yuften. 

In June, Hogan had his licence suspended for three months and was fined €5,000 after Ballyadam Destiny tested positive for prohibited substances triamcinolone acetonide (TCA) and dexamethasone after winning at Galway in October 2022. 

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