Trainer McGuinness given suspended two-year disqualification over remedies

‘I made a mistake three years ago. To be honest I’m glad it’s all over’

Trainer Adrian ‘Ado’ McGuinness was given a suspended two-year disqualification at a Turf Club Referrals Committee hearing on Tuesday.

At Swords District Court in February of last year McGuinness was fined a total of €2,500 and convicted on six charges relating to possession of unauthorised animal remedies in his stables near Lusk in Co Dublin.

A raid by Department of Agriculture inspectors was carried out on McGuinness’s premises in June of 2014.

In 2016 McGuinness was convicted of possession of the unauthorised medicines, Cyancobalamin, Ana Sed, Colvasone and Vita Red without an animal remedies licence.

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He was also convicted on two charges of possession of Pro Dynam and phenylarthrite, authorised medicines that can only be acquired on a vet’s prescription which McGuinness did not produce.

At Tuesday’s hearing in Turf Club HQ, the imposition of the penalty on McGuinness was suspended for two years by the committee “on the basis he doesn’t reoffend.” Costs of €1,000 were also imposed on the trainer.

“I made a mistake three years ago. To be honest I’m glad it’s all over. And it was a minor mistake,” McGuinness said on Tuesday evening.

The trainer’s offences were described in Sword District Court last year as being “at the lower end” of activities relating to possession of unauthorised animal remedies.

Brian O'Connor

Brian O'Connor

Brian O'Connor is the racing correspondent of The Irish Times. He also writes the Tipping Point column