Racing

Racing regulator defends drug-testing regime after criticism

IHRB released a statement on Sunday detailing how many horses are tested

A view as horses steps through a puddle on their way to the parade ring at the Curragh. Photo: Morgan Treacy/Inpho

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Brian O'Connor
Sun Dec 20 2020 - 16:12

Irish racing’s regulator has said it plans to drug-test over 4,000 horses in 2021 and has defended its testing regime in the face of recent severe criticism.

Last month, Jim Bolger, one of the most prominent trainers in the country, said in an interview that drugs are Irish racing’s number one problem. He maintained he doesn’t believe a level playing field exists in the sport.

Bolger also said he was concerned with the “lack of policing” in racing, describing it as “not up to scratch.”

“There’s a rulebook there, certain things are forbidden. They are being used and it needs to be dealt with,” Bolger told the racing trade paper, the Irish Field.

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Shortly after those comments, the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board revealed that it had begun hair-sampling of horses during the summer.

The advantage of such samples in comparison to blood or urine is that they can provide a detailed historical record of drugs used in a horse - including anabolic steroids - in some cases up to years after medication has been administered.

On Sunday an IHRB statement went into greater detail and robustly defended its reputation, saying that hair-testing is just one measure that’s going to remain a feature on Irish racecourses going forward.

“In July this year, the IHRB became the first horseracing jurisdiction in the world to enhance race-day anti-doping testing by taking hair samples unannounced at the racecourse.

“Testing of the race winner by blood, urine and/or hair samples was maintained for every race in Ireland during 2020, in addition to intelligence led and random testing on a race-day, out of competition testing and stable inspections, which combined to a total of 3,032 tests carried out by the IHRB up to and including November 30, despite restrictions relating to the Covid-19 pandemic,” the statement outlined.

It added: “During the course of this year, numerous pieces of intelligence have been assessed relating to licensed individuals and non-licensed premises which included a sharing of intelligence with the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).

“No evidence of doping was identified throughout this process and investigations remain ongoing.

“As recently as this week officials from DAFM accompanied officials from the IHRB at a stable inspection and the Special Investigations Unit of DAFM continue to work with us in a positive manner with regard to all regulatory aspects including investigations.”

The IHRB - formerly known as the Turf Club - has been criticised in recent years on the back of a number of drugs controversies, such as when unlicensed medicines, including an anabolic steroid, were found by Department of Agriculture officials at the premises of trainer Philip Fenton in 2012.

In the same year “commercial” quantities of the anabolic steroid, Nitrotain, were found at the home of former vet, John Hughes, brother of former trainer, Pat Hughes.

In 2018 the IHRB ended its long-term association with the Limerick based BHP laboratory which had tested samples for the regulator for over 20 years. That year it switched to using the English-based LGC laboratory, a move which coincided with a significant jump in horses failing drug tests.

A cross-industry anti-doping task force recommended almost five years ago that a system allowing traceability of thoroughbreds throughout their lives, whether in training or not, be introduced.

An agreement with the Department of Agriculture which allows IHRB personnel access to unlicensed premises such as pre-training yards and stud farms was agreed earlier this year. However the system recommended by the task force is still not in place.

On Sunday the IHRB pointed to its pioneering use of hair-testing on race-days as evidence of its seriousness in fighting doping.

“Since 2016, the IHRB has continued to enhance the department of anti-doping with a 12% increase in samples taken on the racecourse including urine, blood and hair samples.

“There has been a 236% increase in the number of samples taken away from the racecourse and out of competition testing has increased from 8% of the total samples in 2016 to 21% of total samples in 2019.

#”For 2021, it is estimated that over 4,000 horses will be tested in Ireland and the IHRB will continue to develop current procedures and processes to maximise the effectiveness of race-day anti-doping and non-race-day anti-doping which considers best global practice,” it said.

The IHRB’s chief executive, Denis Egan, said on Sunday: “The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board remains committed to delivering the highest possible standard of equine anti-doping and medication control to protect the sports participants and ensuring a level playing field as well as instilling international confidence in Irish horses.”

The statement pointed to the Newmarket-based LGC lab as being an internationally certified reference laboratory. It also said that Irish trained horses that raced aboard this year in jurisdictions such as Hong Kong and France would have been subject to the drug testing systems in place there.