TRAINER James McAuley will not be involved in the long-awaited Referrals Committee hearing into the Yuften case which is due to be heard in November.

The case traces back to a claimer run at Dundalk on March 20th, 2020 - one of the last meetings staged before the Covid shutdown.

Trainer Denis Hogan won the race with Tony The Gent, who was well-backed, while stable companion Yuften - the expected favourite but a drifter in the betting - finished second and was found to be lame afterwards.

Both horses ran in the colours of McAuley, who is now a successful trainer based in Naul, north county Dublin. McAuley, who subsequently took over the training of Yuften, told The Irish Field yesterday: “This case has nothing to do with us. We successfully sued another newspaper who said we were being investigated.”

The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board does not normally comment on impending cases and would not disclose the names of the individuals being charged in connection with this case or the charges themselves.

However, in response to a query regarding the status of the investigation, the IHRB stated: “Following the Crowne Plaza Dundalk Claiming Race on 20th March 2020, the raceday stewards enquired into the running and riding of Yuften, ridden by James Doyle and trained by Denis Hogan.

“Having considered the evidence, the raceday stewards referred the matter to the IHRB for further investigation. A comprehensive investigation has concluded and a Referral Hearing into the matter is scheduled to take place on the 11th and 12th November.

“Detailed reports of all IHRB Referral and Appeal Hearings are published on our website once the Panel has given its verdict. The IHRB does not comment on individual disciplinary matters until hearings are complete.” The IHRB confirmed that the hearing will take place on November 11th and 12th at the IHRB headquarters in the Curragh.

On the day of the race, the stewards inquired into the running and riding of Yuften, with Doyle reporting that he had been instructed to sit in third or fourth early on but that his horse had missed the kick and moved poorly, got stuck behind horses and did not have enough pace to reel in Tony The Gent.

Hogan told stewards that he had been unhappy with the ride initially but, after speaking to Doyle, felt his charge could not have finished any closer. Having heard the evidence, which also included the consideration of betting patterns, the matter was referred to the IHRB.

There has been much speculation on the status of the investigation in the intervening years. It is known that the British Horseracing Authority, which monitors betting trends for the IHRB, was involved, as an international betting element was investigated.