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Thread: Top Irish trainer facing drugs charges

  1. #221
    Senior Member Grey's Avatar
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    Luke Comer fined for refusing stable inspection

    Comer had refused permission for Turf Club officials to inspect his stables last month


    Brian O'Connor

    The high profile property developer Luke Comer has been given a suspended six-month suspension of his licence to train racehorses, and fined €10,000 by the Turf Club, after he refused permission for officials from the regulatory body to inspect his stables in Kilternan last month.

    At a Referrals Committee hearing chaired by Justice Tony Hunt, Comer was also ordered to pay €4,000 in costs. Comer apologised to the Turf Club officials who arrived to inspect his yard on March 22nd. They included the Turf Club’s chief veterinary officer, and head of anti-doping, Dr Lynn Hillyer.

    The six-month suspension of Comer’s licence will only take effect if he fails to comply with Turf Club rules in the next six months. It was also agreed an inspection of Comer’s premises will take place and any issues arising will, if necessary, be put before the Referrals Committee.
    It sounds like Comer has been very lucky, I would have thought refusing an inspection was a more serious matter.

  2. #222
    Super Moderator Diamond Geezer's Avatar
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    Was it because he's a newComer ?

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    Senior Member Grey's Avatar
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    He used to train a lot of bad horses around the turn of the century. The exception was Chimes At Midnight, which was half decent and won the 2001 Curragh Cup in 2001. According to an Irish Field article last September he and his brother own 5,000 acres in the counties around Dublin. They also have 150 broodmares and a similar number of foals and plan to have about 50 horses in training this season.

    The two brothers also sponsor the Irish St Leger under their Palmerstown House Estate banner, which I'm sure had no bearing whatever when it came to deciding how to deal with him.

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    I remember him running a 1000/1 shot behind Generous & Suave Dancer.When I lived in London I knew an above average property developer -the Comer name came up in a conversation -I called him a clown but I was left in no doubts that he is a very big fish worth hundreds of millions.I still don't get the agenda with the horses-it's possibly something he does for pure enjoyment/relaxation -there seems to be no interest in gambles or a commercially successful stud.

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    Fair play to Brian O'Connor for sticking with this issue. He now thinks in his latest irish-racing.com blog that an announcement on testing at stud farms is imminent, but like him I hope the ITBA has seen sense and backed down from their unacceptable position that breeders would get advance notice of tests.

    ...apparently agreement between the Turf Club and the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders Association on a protocol to allow drug testing on stud farms may finally be announced this week.
    And it can hardly be said to be before time since it's almost a year and a half since such a protocol was a central recommendation of the Anti-Doping Task Force report. Central to any protocol though is the issue of notice that ITBA members get before any officials show up on their premises. There simply can't be any.
    Over the last year the ITBA has changed its position on the number of days notice it wants its members to get. Apparently we were down to three days not so long ago. Maybe that demand has decreased even further since. But it doesn't matter. The idea of notice for drug-testing is off the wall nuts. Legitimising it in writing would make any protocol that includes it worse than useless. No horse is so wild that it requires days to be caught. No stud wall is so high it can't - and shouldn't - be scaled immediately. If everything really is right and proper then everyone involved should be eager to prove it. That's only good business sense.

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    Senior Member Grey's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by LUKE View Post
    I remember him running a 1000/1 shot behind Generous & Suave Dancer.When I lived in London I knew an above average property developer -the Comer name came up in a conversation -I called him a clown but I was left in no doubts that he is a very big fish worth hundreds of millions.I still don't get the agenda with the horses-it's possibly something he does for pure enjoyment/relaxation -there seems to be no interest in gambles or a commercially successful stud.
    https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-...-53m-1.3268842

    He's still adding to his portfolio. I wonder if he's hoping that some day these stud farms he's buying on the fringes of greater Dublin can be turned into housing estates.

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    I read the article earlier today and that's exactly what I thought.I think how winners since 1990 could be counted on the fingers of one hand -the hard cash is definitely coming from somewhere else.

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    https://www.irishracing.com/blog-ite...er&prid=186675

    As Brian O'Connor reports, breeding industry representatives in Ireland are still refusing to agree to drug testing on stud farms. This has been going on for nearly two years now in spite of announcements at several stages that an agreement was imminent. The latest announcement was two months ago, when Horse Racing Ireland stepped in to try and broker an agreement. What a disgrace.

  10. #229
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    Comer's in trouble again. At this rate the Turf Club will end up running the stable themselves.

    https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rac...nces-1.3304669

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    Fenton is back training and has had a few winners already
    Some people say he’s the best since Arkle and that’s certainly true when you look at what he’s done

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    It's taken an age to put in place, but Irish racing finally seems to have agreement for an anti-doping control strategy that allows testing at stud farms, pre-training stables and anywhere else where prospective racehorses or temporarily out-of-competition horses are to be found. It is surely a big step forward, even if the IHRB is not happy with the requirement to give operators 24 hours notice of random tests. Twenty four hours is enough time to get rid of unauthorised items before anyone sees them but is it likely to make much difference to the outcome of a drug test?

    Fair play by the way to Brian O'Connor for keeping an eye on this issue and hopefully he will continue to report on its implementation.

    https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/racing/hri-board-unanimously-approves-new-anti-doping-policy-1.3574226




  13. #232
    Senior Member Tanlic's Avatar
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    After Nicky Henderson was nicked I have always wondered how many owners have had a sickener and walked away from the game?


    Nicky was banned for the of transoceanic acid which is used by women all over the world..maybe we should fine them to or stop them doing their jobs


    When the Henderson saga was ongoing I suggested to Paul Struthers that the BHA should take along hard look and work out the difference between medicines and drugs.

    To my mind transoceanic acid is a medicine and if it allows a horse who bleeds to run they should be able to use it.

    After all owners spend tens if not hundreds of pounds on geldings these days and if that horse turns out to burst in his races ????

    Seems anti racing to me but I am not an expert so maybe I am missing something
    Formely Fist of Fury

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    It's Tranexamic acid and no it most definitely shouldn't be allowed to be used in Racing any more than Lasix should. Women are put on it to help with heavy periods but side effects can be unpleasant. Should horses be put on this just to alleviate bleeding to let them race when actually they should be trying to figure out what's causing the problem. Back in the early 90s I worked for a vet in the US and he successfully treated bleeders by getting to the cause - either a respiratory infection or there was an underlying physical problem causing stress (often something like arthritic change in a joint, poor synovial fluid in a joint, a tiny bone chip etc.)
    tu ne cede malis, sed contra audentior ito

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    Trainer John 'Shark' Hanlon has been given an 18-month suspended sentence by the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board's referrals committee after Camlann tested positive for cobalt at the Galway Festival
    Some people say he’s the best since Arkle and that’s certainly true when you look at what he’s done

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  18. #236
    Senior Member barjon's Avatar
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    Doping?

    Big article about doping in Irish racing in Sunday Times today.

    “Irish horses have enjoyed spectacular success but questions must now be asked about whether the country’s racing industry takes seriously claims of a doping culture”

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  20. #237
    Senior Member Desert Orchid's Avatar
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    Wouldn't surprise me in the least.

    There are certainly a few suspects that spring to mind.
    Illegitimi non carborundum


  21. #238
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    Quote Originally Posted by barjon View Post
    Big article about doping in Irish racing in Sunday Times today.

    “Irish horses have enjoyed spectacular success but questions must now be asked about whether the country’s racing industry takes seriously claims of a doping culture”
    What was the evidence?

  22. #239
    Senior Member Frankel's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Desert Orchid View Post
    There are certainly a few suspects that spring to mind.
    Could you elaborate on this
    All comers, all grounds, all beaten!

    This perfect mix of poetry and destruction.

  23. #240
    Senior Member an capall's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Frankel View Post
    Could you elaborate on this
    Michelle Smith de Brun. Allegedly.
    Last edited by an capall; 20th December 2020 at 12:21 PM.
    "And still they gazed and still the wonder grew. That one small head could carry all he knew.

    And that small head knew that Impaire Et Passe would win the Champion Hurdle."

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