Trainer Philip Fenton fined €2,500 after prohibited substance found in blood sample taken from Kilbeggan winner

Trainer Philip Fenton has been fined €2,500 by an Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) referrals committee after the prohibited substance triamcinolone acetonide (TCA) was found in a blood sample taken from a Kilbeggan winner in June.

Shraheen, ridden by Niall Moore, came home two and three-quarter lengths in front in the 2m handicap hurdle on June 2, but the race has now been awarded to the Denis Hogan-trained runner-up Riyami.

Dr Graham Adams, IHRB deputy head of veterinary operations, explained in his report that TCA is a corticosteroid anti-inflammatory medication commonly used to treat injured or inflamed joints, and said Fenton's medicines register was not up to date. There is a minimum stand down time of 14 days for TCA.

Fenton, who declined the option of a B sample, stated in his evidence he had more than 600 runners over the previous eight years with no such issues and that a rider noticed an issue in Shraheen's joint. When the vet was called, he advised TCA treatment with a withdrawal period of 14-22 days.

Fenton said he gave the animal a withdrawal period of 24 days and stated he was aware of elective testing, which offers an analytical service to handlers in order to establish if medication has cleared from an animal's system before racing.

Chairman of the referrals committee Peter Allen said elective testing should have been carried out and the committee found Fenton in breach of rule 96. He was fined €1,250 and also fined an additional €1,250 due to "significant breaches over a long period of certain items which should have been included in the medicines register".

Fenton was previously handed a three-year ban following a Turf Club referrals hearing in November 2014. He was convicted of possessing anabolic steroids after an inspection by officials from the Department of Agriculture at his yard in January 2012.

Trainer Edward Power was fined €1,250 after TCA was found in a blood sample taken from The Top G following his win in a a point-to-point at Tallow in February. The Top G was disqualified.

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