Flying dismounts in the Kingdom

An IHRB Referral Hearing last week poses more questions than it provides answers. The case involved a horse named Laugh A Minute, which during planned pre-race testing at a meeting at the Curragh in June, was noticed to have a recent venepuncture wound with traces of blood indicating the horse had recently received an injection. Under the rules of racing no horse is permitted to receive any substances except food and water on the day it is racing.

Dr Lynn Hillyer, who spotted the puncture wound, informed stipendiary steward Peter Matthews and the pair spoke to the horse’s trainer, Ado McGuinness, prior to the horse running, notifying him that “a full regulatory sample would also be taken from Laugh A Minute post-race and Mr McGuinness acknowledged this requirement.”

It turns out that due to a mix up this post-race sample was never taken, hence the Referral Hearing.

McGuinness claims that it was his understanding that the IHRB would go ahead and take the sample in the stableyard post-race and therefore didn’t deem it necessary to inform his own staff to present the horse to the IHRB Vets. His staff, unaware of any requirement to present the horse for testing, left the racecourse without any test being taken.

Both on the day and at the subsequent Referral Hearing McGuinness explained that Laugh A Minute “had received Duphalyte on the evening prior to the race as he can be a very nervous horse when travelling.” This injection was administered by his own veterinary surgeon.

If Laugh A Minute had been tested as requested post-race we would never have known about the incident. It was only because the horse failed to be tested after the race that the Referral Hearing was held. This begs the question, how many more horses arrive at race meetings with recent puncture wounds that are either not spotted by the authorities or if they are spotted simply result in a subsequent regulatory sample being taken and no more is heard about it?

We are also left to wonder if it is common practice for trainers to give their horses substances other than food and water on the evening before they race?

Prior statements by both McGuinness and his team about Laugh A Minute back up his description as being a “very nervous horse.” He has previously been described as “a little hyper” and “very hot-headed” following race victories. So it seems highly plausible that Laugh A Minute was administered with electrolytes to help keep his fluid levels up for the trip to the Curragh the following day, but even with that being the case the Referral Committee statement left me feeling that the incident was very much played down.

The Referral Committee didn’t issue any scathing rebuke or reiterate the importance of the sport being seen to be squeaky clean when it comes to the medication of horses, they simply concluded the Hearing by stating they “were satisfied that Mr. McGuinness was in breach of Rule 13(b), in that he had failed to comply with a reasonable request or instruction from a racing Official and imposed a fine of €750.”

Last week the Ballinrobe stewards made an interesting decision when it came to punishing the ill-judged ride of Charlie O’Dwyer on a filly named Can’t Stop Smiling in their opening Adare Manor Opportunity Maiden Hurdle.

The Ballinrobe stewards held an inquiry into the running and riding of the horse and O’Dwyer put his hands up and took the blame, he “admitted that his ride was misjudged” when his mount finished strongly from an unpromising position to take third place in the contest. O’Dywer was handed a riding suspension of ten days and ordered to forfeit his riding fee.

Because trainer Aidan Howard stated that he was “disappointed with the ride” there was no sanction imposed against him, but somewhat surprisingly the horse, Can’t Stop Smiling, was suspended from racing for 42 racedays. The owner of the horse was not asked for his opinion on the ride and could feel a little aggrieved that his horse has been banned from competing for such a lengthy period. Even more so as he also sponsored the race.

Finally, what a great coup by racing photographer Pat Healy to persuade Frankie Dettori to ride at the Harvest Festival in Listowel next month. Pat lives and breathes all things Kerry and this will certainly add a real buzz to his hometown meeting.

Dettori will ride on an all-Flat card on the third day of the Festival, Tuesday 20 September, which is also billed as a Student Raceday, and there is little doubt the Island course will be mobbed.

The 51-year-old Italian is a huge draw when he rides at provincial tracks as we saw in 2019 when he rode at the nearby Killarney Races and again last year when he honoured his old friend Barney Curley by riding at Bellewstown.

In recent years Listowel has clashed with Irish Champions Weekend, but the organisers of that event will be thankful the Harvest Festival is a week later in the calendar this year. Flat racing’s premier event is pinning its hopes on the participation of Baaeed in the Irish Champion Stakes, but even that superstar colt would struggle to compete with flying dismounts in the Kingdom.