TRAINER Denis Hogan has been banned for three months and fined €5,000 following a positive test for a prohibited substance by one of his winners. He has lodged an appeal.

Based in Cloughjordan, Co Tipperary, Hogan has had four winners disqualified in the past five years due to failed post-race drug tests. Although the trainer was found to have taken all reasonable steps to prevent the previous rule breaches, in this latest case the Referrals Committee did hold Hogan responsible and his record was taken into account when deciding to issue the suspension.

His ban was due to start in August but that is unlikely following his decision to appeal. He trained a winner at Limerick last evening.

A spokesperson for the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board said: “This is Mr Hogan’s fourth breach of rules relating to prohibited substances and the decision of the Referrals Committee reflects that. As the chairman of the Committee noted, the IHRB takes findings of prohibited substances very seriously.”

The trainer’s most recent winner to test positive for a banned substance was Ballyadam Destiny, winner of a handicap hurdle at Galway on October 29th last year. Tests confirmed the presence of two anti-inflammatories, triamcinolone acetonide [TCA] and dexamethasone, in the horse’s post-race sample.

Hogan’s medicines register confirmed that veterinary surgeon Donnacha Houlihan administered the substances on September 27th, and advised the trainer the drugs had a 40-day withdrawal time. The IHRB’s case was that Hogan ignored this advice and ran the horse 31 days later.

The trainer accepted the findings and took full responsibility for the error. He told the Committee he has since employed additional staff and put new measures in place in his yard to avoid such an error reocurring.

Referrals Committee chairman Peter Allen said: “Mr Hogan has met this case very fairly and has accepted the findings of the IHRB’s inspection. The duty does lie with the trainer to ensure that all procedures are carried out in accordance with the Rules and Regulations.

“We do appreciate that the veterinary surgeon did advise 40 days withdrawal and, indeed on hindsight, that may not have been enough time, but that is not relevant to the findings today as the horse was run within that 40-day period.

“On that basis, it is our finding that the horse should be disqualified and any prize money should be refunded.

“In relation to other penalties, Mr Hogan’s record has been outlined to us and he has explained the facts surrounding some of those findings; however, the finding of prohibited substances in horses is something which the IHRB takes very, very seriously and indeed the members of the public themselves do.

“On that basis it is our view that Mr Hogan’s licence should be withdrawn for a period of three months, that the suspension should commence from August 1st and that Mr Hogan should be fined a sum of €5,000.”

Top sprinters

Hogan has been training since 2009 and has established a reputation for winning races with modestly-bred and inexpensive horses.

He is best known for his exploits with two Godolphin cast-offs, Make A Challenge and Sceptical. Make A Challenge was acquired for £6,500 and won 10 races including five listed contests. Sceptical cost just £2,800 and won three times in 2020 before being sent off 2/1 favourite for the Group 1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot.

With Frankie Dettori on board, Sceptical finished a close third at Ascot and the partnership went on to finish second to Oxted in the July Cup before suffering a fatal leg injury the following month. Over jumps Hogan’s best horses to date have been Moyhenna and Youcantcallherthat. Hogan rode both mares to win two graded races each in 2018-’19.