JOHN 'Shark' Hanlon has been given a 10-month training ban and fined €2,000 for damaging the "good reputation of horseracing" by transporting a dead racehorse in an open trailer last June with the carcass in public view.

Hanlon intends to appeal the ban imposed by the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board, who on Thursday afternoon announced the verdict of last week's hearing by the Referrals Committee. The trainer added that he was "very surprised and very disappointed" with the results of the hearing.

In his judgement, Justice Tony Hunt said that "the Committee is disposed to consider a future application to conditionally suspend the last five months of the 10 month withdrawal sanction" if Hanlon completely withdraws from having any involvement in any training-related activity for the first five months.

The case relates to an incident on Friday June 14th when, it was alleged, Hanlon removed a deceased horse from a paddock at Ballygorteen, Co Kilkenny to a knackery in Co Carlow. The carcass was contained on an open trailer, drawn by a horsebox which clearly identified it as the property of Hanlon.

Hanlon says he attempted to conceal the carcass from public view by covering it with a tarpaulin prior to departure from the paddock, but these had failed completely by the time the box and trailer combination reached Paulstown, Co Kilkenny at around 5pm, such that the carcass was completely uncovered and fully visible to members of the public.

This situation was noticed by a driver travelling immediately behind the horsebox at Paulstown. A video of the horsebox and trailer was posted on social media. The Referrals Committee noted that "the adverse publicity then spread to the conventional media. Mr Hanlon’s conduct thereby attracted significant public opprobrium and adverse comment, relating to both Mr Hanlon personally and to the racing industry generally."

As a result of an IHRB investigation Hanlon was charged with breaches of Rule 272 (i) (acting in a manner prejudicial to the integrity, proper conduct, or good reputation of the sport), Rule 272(ii) (the provision of false or misleading information to investigating IHRB officials), Rule 273(xiii) (actions prejudicial to the interests of the IHRB or likely to cause serious damages to horse- racing in Ireland), and Rule 148(i) (being responsible for the failure of a veterinary surgeon retained by the trainer to complete an entry in the passport of the deceased animal regarding the previous administration of a medical product prohibited in a food-producing animal).

At last week's hearing the Committee heard evidence from Hanlon in relation to the charges against him.

Having considered the evidence and the admissions by Hanlon, the Committee was satisfied that the IHRB had established that Hanlon was in breach of Rule 272(i), by reason of the fact that he transported a deceased animal through Paulstown in a completely uncovered state, using a highly identifiable horsebox, which caused significant prejudice to the integrity, proper conduct and good reputation of the sport of horse-racing. The Committee was satisfied that the prejudice caused by the conduct of Hanlon was compounded by the wide dissemination on various social media platforms of the recording of these events, and the ensuing adverse reaction and commentary.

Although the Committee was also satisfied that Hanlon had misled IHRB officials in the early stages of the investigation in relation to the issues of who had attempted to secure the covering of the deceased animal prior to departure, who was driving the horsebox and when the tarpaulin had been recovered after the incident, the Committee decided that these matters should be considered as factors relating to the sanction to be imposed in relation to the established breach of Rule 272(i), rather than being the subject of a separate breach of Rule 272(ii).

The Committee concluded that Hanlon was grossly negligent in the supervision of the transport of the horse carcass on the day in question, and that the breach of Rule 272(i) therefore involved high culpability on his part.

It was noted that the attempt prior to departure to cover the carcass on the trailer by means of a tarpaulin secured by bungee cord and concrete bricks "were obviously entirely inadequate", as the tarpaulin had disappeared completely by the time the box and trailer combination had reached Paulstown.

The Committee took the view that "the importance of proper respect for the carcass of the deceased animal ought to have been well-known to all trainers, including Mr Hanlon, following recent high-profile public controversies concerning the shortcomings of trainers and riders in other cases, and the outcome of referrals to this Committee in that regard."

They also note that the incident took place in the same week in which RTE transmitted a “Prime Time Investigates” programme relating to serious equine welfare issues. "Mr Hanlon was undoubtedly as aware as anyone of the heightened public sensitivity to equine welfare issues arising from the RTE broadcast, and this awareness ought to have informed his actions on that day."

Handing Hanlon a 10-month training ban, the Committee said that "others previously penalised in this manner in broadly similar circumstances would be justifiably aggrieved if a different approach was adopted in this case."

They concluded: "The fundamental fact of this matter is that Mr Hanlon indulged in an unacceptable level of risk-taking in the means of transport of the deceased animal, resulting in the significant reputational damage referred to above."

Taking Hanlon's previous good record into account, "and recognising the financial, reputational and other burdens of a meaningful withdrawal of a licence to train, the Committee is disposed to consider a future application to conditionally suspend the last five months of the 10 month withdrawal sanction."

This would only be considered if the Committee is satisfied that Hanlon "satisfactorily observed" the following conditions during the first five months of the period of withdrawal:

1) Not to knowingly participate in training-related related activities or gallops,

2) Not to issue instructions to any jockey or other trainer as to the training or riding of any horse,

3) Not to enter or attempt to enter any weigh-room, parade ring or any other area of a racecourse restricted to licensees of the IHRB,

4) To give notice of any application to suspend after the expiry of an initial period of four months, to allow the IHRB to consider and respond to the matter prior to an application to suspend being processed by the Committee. It should be noted that the grant of a suspension of licence withdrawal is not automatic, and the grant or the conditions and duration thereof will be determined by reference to the full factual context of the application.

Based in Bagenalstown, Co Carlow, Hanlon has been training under a full licence since 2007. He has forged a reputation for winning good races with inexpensive or homebred horses, such as Luska Lad and Hidden Cyclone.

In 2019 he bought Skyace out of the Willie Mullins yard for £600. The mare went on to win five races for Hanlon, including the Grade 1 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares' Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse during the 2021 Easter Festival.

His current stable star is Hewick, bought for €850 as a store. Now a nine-year-old, Hewick has won 10 races and almost €1 million in prize money. His big race wins include the King George VI Chase at Kempton, the Oaksey Chase at Sandown, the American Grand National at Far Hills, the Galway Plate and the Sandown Gold Cup.

Hanlon has seven days to lodge an appeal against the findings against him.

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