DANNY Dunne, partner of Co Carlow trainer Katy Brown, has been warned off for six months for being abusive to racecourse officials at Cork last month. The final three months of the penalty have been suspended.

On April 3rd, Dunne was representing Brown at Cork Racecourse. He was unhappy that their runner, Vento Del Drago, had been allowed to race after the horse in the adjoining stall had become upset and was withdrawn.

Dunne went to the stewards’ room and voiced his complaint to stipendiary steward Liam Walsh. Afterwards IHRB veterinary office Nicola O’Connor told the acting stewards she had been verbally abused by Dunne, even though she was on duty in the stableyard and had no knowledge of what happened at the stalls.

Returning to the stewards’ room, Dunne initially denied he had been abusive to O’Connor. However, the Referrals Committee was satisfied this week that Dunne “proceeded to insult and abuse the chairman [of the acting stewards] and left before the conclusion of the enquiry.”

At the Referrals Committee hearing, Dunne made a number of apologies for his behaviour. “However, he then took issue with the manner in which the hearing was proceeding and again became agitated and left the room.”

Brown also gave evidence and offered an apology for the racecourse incidents. She said Dunne played an important part in their training operation.

In arriving at their decision to impose a six-month disqualification (with three months suspended), the Referrals Committee of Justice Leonie Reynolds, Peter Allen and Peter Reynolds said they were taking into account “the complete lack of respect shown to Ms O’Connor”, and distress caused to her, “the wholly impermissible and insulting behaviour towards the chairman and acting stewards”, and a previous warning given to Dunne in 2018 following an incident in Down Royal.

The disqualification starts on May 28th. Brown agreed to pay costs of €500 and warned to ensure that her authorised representative conducts themselves in a proper manner.