Trainer David Dunne loses appeal against two-year integrity case ban and €5,000 fine

David Dunne has failed in his appeal against the severity of the two-year suspension and €5,000 fine arising out of the high-profile integrity case that saw his fellow trainer Ronan McNally slapped with a 12-year ban. He has been ordered to pay a further €2,000 in costs as well. 

Dunne was sanctioned under the rules that cover bringing racing into disrepute, with his punishment including being ordered to repay prize-money totalling €27,000 after he was found guilty of conspiring with McNally to conceal his colleague's ownership of All Class, Full Noise and Petrol Head, who were all in his care at the time.

Dunne's training licence was suspended for two years, but with the final 18 months suspended for two years.

The original referral established that McNally had intentionally concealed his ownership of horses in Dunne's training yard and orchestrated a "manipulation of their official handicap ratings". All Class and Full Noise landed notable gambles under Dunne's name but both were found to be owned by McNally and subsequently ran in his name.

The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board appeals panel, which was chaired by Justice Peter Kelly, convened on April 19, when Dunne argued that a six-month training ban could end his career and claimed the referrals committee made a mistake by ordering the prize-money earned by the horses to be forfeited because he was not charged in relation to covering up the true ability of the horses. He said that any prize-money was won legitimately and on their true ability. 

Dunne also alleged that the committee erred in imposing a fine for deceiving the public of the true ownership of the horse.

However, the appeals body upheld the original suspension handed out at a hearing on January 13 and dismissed the appeal in its entirety, stating there was no basis for amending the sanctions imposed by the referrals committee. 

The appeals body said there were serious breaches on the part of Dunne which must attract a significant penalty as "such conduct cannot be regarded as amounting to a minor infringement" and ordered him to pay €2,000 towards the costs of the case.

Ronan McNally: appeal against 12-year suspension scheduled for May 29Credit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Dunne, who was also retrospectively found guilty of supplying misleading information and/or false information to an official at a stewards' inquiry at Navan in March 2021, remains eligible to work in racing during his suspension. McNally will not be granted that privilege if his appeal, which is scheduled for May 29, is unsuccessful. 

His 12-year exclusion, the most severe sanction ever handed to a licensed individual in Ireland, would prevent him from accessing any IHRB licensed premises, so his presence in training yards and racecourses would be forbidden. 

The father-and-son combination of Paul and Jack Gilligan were successful in their appeal against a €2,000 fine, a 12-day suspension and a 42-day ban for Bobbisilver following his run in a maiden hurdle at Cork last month. 

Bobbisilver finished seventh of 13, beaten 34 lengths, but was found guilty under the non-trier rule by the raceday stewards.

A scope revealed the highest possible score for tracheal mucus leading to the appeals body withdrawing the fine and the bans for both horse and rider.

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