TRAINER Luke Comer has lodged an appeal against “various elements” of last week’s decision by the Referrals Committee to find him guilty of damaging the good name of Irish racing by failing to prevent 12 horses in his Co Dublin yard being administered anabolic steroids.

Comer was given a three-year training ban, fined over €80,000 and ordered to pay €755,000 towards legal costs incurred by the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board [IHRB].

As widely expected, Comer lodged an appeal before Wednesday’s deadline. However, the IHRB also lodged an appeal over what they describe as the “undue leniency of the sanctions imposed on the trainer in respect of the multiple rule breaches” found by the Referrals Committee.

The appeals will be considered by the Appeals Body, a committee appointed by the IHRB from a wider Disciplinary Panel. The Appeals Body members can have had no involvement in the investigation of the original case.

The Appeals Body has the power to increase, decrease, remove or suspend any sanction, suspension, fine or other penalty imposed by the Referrals Committee.

Quoted in the Sunday Independent, Comer said it was a “complete and utter” mystery how his horses tested positive for the banned substances and he indicated he would go to any lengths to clear his name.

“I will not stand for any kind of injustice,” he said. “I will use whatever resources I have to make sure that whoever does any damage to my reputation will pay. I am 1,000% innocent. I have never been more right in my life.”

He told the paper he spends €10 million per annum on his racing and breeding operation. “I am not in the game for money. I don’t train horses for anybody else. I train them for myself.

“I don’t want to win small races — full stop. I don’t care. If a horse ran well, I would rather the money would go to a smaller trainer whose livelihood depended on it.”