Verdict on Charles Byrnes' Viking Hoard appeal to be delivered 'in due course'

The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board's appeals panel will take more time to deliver a verdict after a virtual hearing into Charles Byrnes' appeal in the Viking Hoard case was held on late Tuesday afternoon.

The appeal, which started at 4.15pm and was chaired by Justice Nial Fennelly and included Justice Leonie Reynolds and John Powell, reportedly took almost two hours to be completed via Zoom.

In the original hearing on January 7, the IHRB's referrals committee found Byrnes to be seriously negligent in his supervision of Viking Hoard on the day the horse tested positive for a dangerous amount of a sedative following a race at Tramore, and accepted the horse was "nobbled" by an unidentified third party.

The committee ordered Byrnes' licence to be withdrawn for a period of six months and imposed a €1,000 fine on the trainer.

Charles Byrnes: commented on the Viking Hoard case for the first time after winning at the Dublin Racing Festival with Off You GoCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

It remains unclear when a verdict over the appeal will be delivered but it is understood it could take several days. A spokesperson for the IHRB said: "The appeal was heard yesterday evening and the panel have reserved their judgement. They will release their verdict in due course."

Viking Hoard was heavily laid to lose a handicap hurdle at Tramore in October 2018, and drifted from 4-1 to a starting price of 8-1 before being pulled up. There was no evidence linking Byrnes to these bets.

Byrnes has continued to have runners while the appeals process has been ongoing and won the €125,000 Gaelic Plant Hire Leopardstown Handicap Chase at Leopardstown on Sunday with Off You Go, who became the first horse to win at three Dublin Racing Festivals. The Limerick trainer has one runner declared for Thurles on Thursday and two entries for Naas on Saturday.

Charles Byrnes: 'I don't lay horses, I back horses'

There was no CCTV footage of the stable yard area at Tramore on the day Viking Hoard was deemed to have been nobbled and it has since emerged that just one of the 26 racecourses in Ireland has surveillance technology of an industry-approved standard, although others have CCTV covering portions of their tracks.

RTE, Ireland's national television and radio broadcaster, has reported that the Association of Irish Racehorse Owners (AIRO) has written to IHRB chief executive Denis Egan requesting more widespread CCTV coverage at Irish racecourses, citing "deep concerns concerning the recent report of the abhorrent case at Tramore".

Leopardstown: the only racecourse in Ireland with full CCTV installed monitoring the stable yard, according to the IHRB last monthCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

The AIRO members' newsletter for January, seen by RTE, also stated: "We wanted to highlight that a safe environment for our horses was paramount for our members and looked for the provision of CCTV cameras at all racecourses, specifically in stable yards with adequate staff to patrol and monitor it.

"We also highlighted that confidence in the integrity of Irish racing is of critical importance to the survival of the industry."

The IHRB referrals committee said at Byrnes' original hearing in January that his level of culpability was not affected by the presence or absence of a CCTV camera in the stable yard.

The committee's report stated: "Additional CCTV coverage would be desirable but cannot cover every event in a large and busy stable yard and boxes. It is not a substitute for the discharge of the primary responsibilities of the trainer under the rules."

Read more:

Read the explosive evidence from the investigation into the Charles Byrnes case

Charles Byrnes given six-month ban after runner is 'nobbled' with sedative

Members' Club: 'white label' customers no longer able to place lay bets on Betfair exchange

Members' Club: BHA reveals Viking Hoard tested negative at Sedgefield 16 days before Tramore run

Members' Club: Comment – a disturbing case that leaves many vital questions unanswered

'It's the number one problem in Irish racing' – Bolger demands more drug testing

Not fair: Charles Byrnes unhappy at treatment by BHA over British runners

Byrnes: bumper gambles were necessary as training is 'a loss-making business'

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