Meath trainer Cathy O’Leary has been fined €2,800 by an Irish Horse Racing Regulatory Board (IHRB) referrals panel after a horse she trained to win at Dundalk in October of last year failed a drugs test.
Nibiru won a claiming race for apprentices by a short head on October 18th, after which he tested positive for the corticosteroid, dexamethasone. It is used as an anti-inflammatory and is an analgesic used to treat a variety of conditions, including lameness and respiratory disease.
In a hearing held last week, it emerged that Nibiru was given the medication two days before the race. The drug is not permitted to be in a horse’s system on race day and the published detection time for it is five days. Nibiru was disqualified and the race awarded to Acotongo.
O’Leary, who last year took over the licence of her brother Tony Martin when he was serving a suspension for doping offences, said she was working off a two-day withdrawal period advised by her vet, Donnacha Houlihan.
RM Block
He said he administered the drug intravenously and advised O’Leary that 48 hours was sufficient withdrawal time due to the low levels he administered. He accepted his advice on the timeframe was outside of the recommended period as published.
The IHRB inspected O’Leary’s yard on November 4th of last year and noted that as well as evidence of a lay person giving intravenous injections to multiple horses over multiple months, there was a failure to keep the medicines register up to date as some medications were not recorded at the time.
O’Leary was fined €1,000 for the positive drug test. The referrals panel also fined her €1,000 under the rule that the trainer is responsible for everything connected with the welfare, training and running of horses under their care.
She was fined €500 for having an incomplete medicines register and €300 as the trainer is responsible for ensuring that all members of staff and any other person with access to medicines are fully conversant with the rules and regulations relating to prohibited substances.
Tony Martin served five months of a suspension last year. He initially received three months after a winner he saddled at Dundalk in 2023, Firstman, tested positive for a prohibited substance. Martin had another two months added when judged to have brought racing into disrepute after being seen to celebrate after Alphonse Le Grande won at Newcastle. His suspension ended shortly before Nibiru ran at Dundalk.
