RACING: The 75-year-old Co Limerick trainer Tommy Walker has had his licence removed for a minimum of six months by the Turf Club after his horse Ballygowan Beauty was found to have raced under a different name at a "flapping" meeting in Dingle three years ago.
A hearing yesterday decided that Ballygowan Beauty, who is both owned and trained by Newcastle West-based Walker, ran twice at the Dingle races in August of 2002 under the name of Bog Road.
Such races are described as "unrecognised" by the horse racing authorities. Under his real name, Ballygowan Beauty ran 32 times afterwards and won six times. However, he has now been disqualified from all those races.
Both video and photographic evidence was used in the case along with evidence from the horse's former trainer Charles Byrnes was heard. Evidence was also heard from the husband of a previous owner, Charles O'Brien, and jockey Paddy Flood.
Walker was found to be in breach of Rule 275 and his suspension will start from May 1st of this year.
The stewards recommended that the ban last for at least six months before a possible review takes place.
In a separate case the Co Louth trainer Suzanne Cox was fined 1,500 for being in breach of Rule 148 after it was decided that the horse Carapuncha ran in two flapping meetings at Ballinasloe and Dingle last year.
Ms Cox's farrier, Michael McAteer, was made a disqualified person for at least two years after he admitted taking Carapuncha to Ballinasloe and Dingle without Ms Cox's knowledge.
Live coverage of Irish racing is now available on NTL's digital package after an agreement was signed yesterday between the company and the "attheraces" channel.
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