Two trainers caught up in raid on premises where banned substances were seized

A raid led by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) led to unlicensed remedies being seized in Monasterevin, County Kildare on Tuesday.

The premises are understood to be the location from where a well-known British-based equine therapist operates, and there were horses in training present on the site during the raid.

It is understood the individual concerned is not a veterinary practitioner, but is someone who specialises in tendon and muscle problems and is commonly used by trainers across the spectrum in both Ireland and Britain. They have in the past been credited for getting some star horses back on track following leg problems.

The person involved, who did not want to comment when contacted on Wednesday, has also been used by high-profile participants in other equine disciplines and is a practitioner who has been operating on horses in Ireland and Britain for around 30 years.

There were other non-thoroughbred sport horses at the site during the inspection, and it is unclear at this stage whether there are specific concerns relating to thoroughbreds or horses in training.

The raid was led by DAFM, which, it is understood, had four officials there, along with three gardai. During the inspection, the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board was contacted and invited to attend, and a four-strong delegation led by the chief veterinary officer Dr Lynn Hillyer subsequently arrived.

Dr Lynn Hillyer: was present during the raid

It is understood two licensed trainers were on the premises, both of whom arrived after the department and gardai but before the IHRB. On arrival, the IHRB, which has jurisdiction over unlicensed premises since gaining authorised officer status last summer, then elected to take hair and blood samples from both of those trainers’ horses.

Sources have suggested the two trainers involved do not have any concerns about their role in the incident and that neither was questioned by the department officials or the gardai.

It is understood they were both there with horses with tendon issues and believe themselves to be inadvertently caught up in the situation and innocent of any wrongdoing. The therapist was questioned at the site and their phone and vehicle were seized along with the unlicensed remedies, before they were then taken to their Irish place of residence. The raid is believed to have come about based on intelligence following a tip-off.

The seizure took place on the day the IHRB’s anti-doping structures were given a vote of confidence by the cross-party Agriculture Committee, which on Tuesday published its report following hearings that were convened in the summer in the wake of Jim Bolger’s allegations that there would be a 'Lance Armstrong' in Irish racing and that illegal drug use was Irish racing’s number one problem.

The 34-page report concluded that the IHRB’s methods were “of the highest possible international standards”, effectively invalidating the allegations made by Bolger. Nonetheless, among its recommendations, it did call for an independent audit of the IHRB’s testing regime, which it has been reported will be led by the former New South Wales chief veterinary officer, Craig Suann.

It was also recommended "that the IHRB board composition be reviewed and that the lack of independent members and the lack of gender balance be examined". The IHRB is already understood to be taking steps to address those suggestions.

On Wednesday, the IHRB did not want to comment on what a spokesperson described as "an ongoing DAFM investigation".

A statement from DAFM said: "On Tuesday November 9, 2021, authorised officers acting on behalf of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine carried out an enforcement operation supported by Gardai attached to the Kildare/Laois drug unit and officers from the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board.

"This Department-led operation involved searches and seizure of products as part of an ongoing investigation into equine doping. As this is an ongoing investigation, it would not be appropriate to make any further comment at this time."

Read more . . .

Henry de Bromhead 'very happy' with Put The Kettle On ahead of Politologue clash

Willie Mullins' Champion Hurdle hope Echoes In Rain set for Morgiana return

Willie Mullins targets Ladbrokes Trophy with Munster National winner Ontheropes

Catch our new in-depth review of the weekend's racing every Monday in the Racing Post. With big-race analysis from Grand National-winning jockey Leighton Aspell, Chris Cook's take on the weekend action, eyecatchers from the Raceform team, weekly awards and much more, it is not to be missed.