After three and a half years, one of the most high-profile investigations ever carried out by the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board has finished with no evidence offered by the sport’s integrity service.
A much-anticipated referrals hearing into a controversial race at Dundalk in March 2020 involving a pair of Denis Hogan-trained runners had been scheduled to start next week.
It was due to examine the running and riding of the Hogan trained, and James J Doyle ridden, Yuften in a claimer which had been referred for investigation by the race-day stewards at Dundalk.
Yuften was widely anticipated to start a short-priced favourite but wound up a market drifter out to 6-4. His stable companion Tony The Gent, also racing in the colours of owner James McAuley, was backed into 10-11 favourite.
After Yuften was slowly away, and didn’t get a clear run at one point, he finished a two-length runner up to Tony The Gent.
The race attracted significant media attention as Dundalk was the only fixture in Ireland and Britain that day as the Covid-19 pandemic started to intensify.
Yuften was found to be lame after the race by an IHRB veterinary officer.
A subsequent long-running investigation into the matter by the IHRB included monitoring of betting trends that was carried out by the British Horseracing Authority.
The marathon process was set to conclude with a referrals committee hearing due to run over Friday and Saturday of next week only for new records and reports submitted by Hogan to emerge recently.
In an embarrassing late move, the IHRB was forced to report on Thursday evening that it had no evidence to offer any referrals panel, effectively leaving the case closed.
“Following the recent belated production of relevant records and reports by the respondents, which had been sought by the IHRB since the initial stages of the investigation, the IHRB has decided that it does not intend to offer evidence at the hearing before the Referrals Committee – in effect a nolle prosequi,” it said in a statement.
“It was appropriate on the day of the race that the matter would be referred for investigation and in the course of the investigation certain information was sought from the respondent.
“This evidence was not produced during interviews or at any other stage throughout the three years this investigation remained open, until October of this year when expert veterinary reports which provided context for the performance of the horse in the race in question were finally submitted.
“The IHRB regards as deeply frustrating the failure of the respondent to produce this evidence before now – in excess of three years after the events to which the evidence relates,” it added.
Hogan is due to resume his career in December having been handed a three-month license suspension during the summer due to the disqualification of his Ballyadam Destiny at Galway last year after the horse failed a drug test.
It was fourth Hogan trained winner in five years to fail a dope test.
The IHRB wouldn’t comment on Thursday about the nature of the documents supplied to them so close to a referrals hearing by Yuften’s connections.
However, the IHRB statement did add: “The referrals committee has been asked to give a decision in this matter which may then be published as, although it is ultimately a matter for the referrals committee, the IHRB is of the view that to enhance transparency, and for the purpose of ensuring public confidence in the disciplinary process, it would be appropriate in the circumstances to provide some explanation as to why the referral has been dealt with in this way.”
Hogan declined to comment on the matter on Thursday.
