Irish racing watchdog runs rule over brace of Downpatrick referrals

The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) is playing its cards close to its chest after its investigations file got further added to on the back of a pair of referred cases from Downpatrick on Monday.

The race-day stewards referred the success of the gambled on Anyway in a handicap hurdle after the Ken Budds-trained horse justified significant support from 28-1 morning odds down to evens favourite.

Another referral to the IHRB occurred in the same race due to the withdrawal of the Charles Byrnes-trained Karloss.

Byrnes, who landed a hat-trick elsewhere on the Downpatrick card, and had previously bought Anyway at the 2021 Goffs Land Rover Sale, was forced to take Karloss out of Monday’s contest after he reported problems had arisen en route to Downpatrick from his Co Limerick base.

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Byrnes told the Downpatrick stewards that Karloss slipped in the trailer and sweated up, so he felt it was in his best interest to be withdrawn.

Controversial figure

He also stated the owners of Karloss were travelling behind him, so they brought the horse back to his yard which was why he did not arrive at the races with his other runners.

Byrnes is one of the most controversial figures in Irish racing having had his licence suspended for six months in 2021 following his runner Viking Hoard being “nobbled” with a sedative at Tramore in 2018.

In May of this year, Byrnes was hit with a massive €6,000 fine after non-trier rules were judged to have been breached when his runner Ellaat ran at Gowran.

Bookmakers reported significant activity on Anyway whose trainer reported he has had the horse, which is owned by his father, for more than eight months having bought it from Charles Byrnes.

Other evidence was heard from the IHRB handicapper Sandy Shaw who stated the winning performance was a “significant improvement” on Anyway’s previous form.

Both cases were referred for further investigation to what was described as a “senior racing official” at the IHRB.

There are five such officials at the regulator. Chief executive Darragh O’Loughlin has admitted to limited knowledge of racing but both senior “stipe” Liam Walsh and head of race-day operations Paul Murtagh are experienced regulatory personnel.

The head of licensing and legal Clíodhna Gury and Dr Lynn Hillyer, head of anti-doping, are also ranked as senior officials.

On Tuesday the IHRB played a straight bat to queries on the matter, including a potential timeframe on its investigation.

“The stewards on the day examined two separate matters on which they felt both may warrant future investigation and referred those matters on. There is no further update at this time,” said a spokesman.

Asked if betting patterns would form part of its examination, he said such matters are monitored on a daily basis.

The IHRB has come under fire in the past for the length of time taken for some of its investigations. An outcome to the long-running case of a claiming race at Dundalk in March of 2020 involving the Denis Hogan-trained pair Yuften and Tony The Gent is still awaited.

Irish Champion Stakes

In other news, Auguste Rodin could have to overcome a familiar foe if he is to rejuvenate his reputation once more in next week’s Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown.

The €1.25 million highlight of the upcoming Irish Champions Festival is shaping into another clash between Aidan O’Brien’s star and his three-year-old rival King Of Steel.

The pair first clashed at Epsom in June when Auguste Rodin emerged a half-length in front of King Of Steel in a memorable Derby finish.

The latter subsequently had the upper hand in last month’s King George where he finished an honourable third to Hukum with Auguste Rodin turning in a dismal performance and finishing a tailed-off last.

Earlier this season, O’Brien pulled off one of his finest training performances by producing Auguste Rodin to win at Epsom on the back of a dismal effort in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket.

Now, he faces perhaps an even more difficult task in restoring the reputational lustre around the Deep Impact colt at Leopardstown on Saturday week.

Waiting for him is likely to be King Of Steel with the pair of three-year-olds increasingly shaping as the star attractions for Day One of the €4.5 million Champions Festival.

John Gosden’s Mostahdaf still topped some ante-post betting lists on Tuesday despite his ownership describing the recent Juddmonte winner as unlikely to line up in the Champion Stakes. The Shadwell team are instead readying Alfaila to be supplemented into the race next week.

With the French superstar Ace Impact already ruled out, it is the prospect of Round Three of Auguste Rodin V King Of Steel that increasingly looks like being the headline draw.

Roger Varian swerved the Juddmonte to target Leopardstown with King Of Steel who has yet to strike at Group One level.

His level has been notably consistent though in comparison to Auguste Rodin who has plenty to prove despite adding another Derby victory to his CV at the Curragh in early July.

The reasons behind that subsequent King George flop remain a mystery even to his Ballydoyle connections although O’Brien insists his work since Ascot has been impressive.

“He came home from Ascot well and has been fine since,” he reported. “His work has been brilliant. We are very happy with everything he has been doing. He’s fresh and doing everything really good.”

Those reports led to Auguste Rodin jumping to 3-1 favouritism with some layers on Tuesday as they cautioned against O’Brien’s superb record in the race. O’Brien is pursuing a 12th success in the Irish Champion Stakes.