Trainer Charles Byrnes has been hit with a €2,000 fine having been found guilty of using the racecourse as a training ground with fast finishing fourth placed Pittoni in the concluding Listowel Racs Supporters Club Slan Abhaile Race at Listowel today.
Pittoni finished well to take fourth in the race with his rider Derek Fox receiving a seven days suspension and the horse being banned for 42 days.
The Stewards, who found Byrnes guilty of using the racecourse as a training ground and Fox guilty of making insufficient effort, took into account their records when penalising the pair.
An angry Byrnes subsequently said he intends appealing the decision, saying “I did not stop that horse today and will appeal without a shadow of a doubt.”
“I was happy with the ride he received and a more experienced rider would have sat-up on him a lot earlier. Pittoni is a one-paced horse and his rider was pushing him out the whole way. ”
Pittoni's (a 1m2f Curragh winner and a three times hurdle winner) presence, on his seasonal reappearance, in the 15 runner race caused major confusion to betting markets all morning and during the run-up to the race, with the gelding opening up as the even money favourite in the morning before eventually drifting to 7/2 SP, and on Betfair to a 5.7 SP.
