Trainer Luke Comer jnr has licence suspended for a year following discovery of equine carcasses on his land

County Meath-based trainer Luke Comer jnr has had his licence suspended for a year and been ordered to pay €20,000 to the retraining of racehorses group Treo Eile after being found guilty by the regulator of bringing racing into disrepute in relation to the probe that discovered numerous decomposed horse carcases on his land in 2021.

Comer, who is the son of billionaire businessman and trainer of the same name who was hit with a three-year suspension of his licence and €840,754 in fines and costs after a dozen of his horses tested positive for anabolic steroids, had in March escaped a conviction in Navan District Court when Judge Cormac Dunne ultimately struck out the charge but ordered him to pay €20,000 to the ISPA. He was also charged with legal costs of €3,075.

Following the conclusion of the court case, which was brought by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board completed its investigation and the hearing was heard by a referrals panel on Thursday.

In his submissions, Comer, a restricted licence-holder, accepted that skeletal remains were found in a forested area on his land at Ginnet’s Estate, which is ultimately his responsibility.

However, he denied that he was responsible for bringing the remains of the dead horses to the site that is unlicensed by the IHRB, arguing that he had always ensured that fallen animals are properly disposed of and has produced supporting evidence from Ward Union Hunt in that regard. 

Comer was described by the panel as remorseful and he recommended the donation to Treo Eile of €10,000 a year for two years himself. Nonetheless, the panel, which was chaired by Lady Chief Justice Siobhan Keegan, described the case as unacceptable and damaging to the integrity of racing. 

"Overall, we find that there was significant carelessness by way of lack of attention regarding horse welfare on the property and proper disposal of carcasses," the report said in revealing the one-year licence suspension that will begin on September 12.

Read more . . .

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