Further delays to anti-doping testing at unlicensed Irish premises

New procedures designed to improve Ireland's anti-doping strategy by allowing testing at unlicensed premises continue to be delayed, and Denis Egan, chief executive of the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board, admitted there was still no concrete timeframe for the implementation of new regulations.

The procedures, which had been expected to begin in the second half of this year, originated from the IHRB's industry-wide anti-doping agreement that had been approved unanimously by the Horse Racing Ireland board in July 2018.

The protocols see stakeholders such as the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders Association (ITBA) and sales companies acknowledge the IHRB's authority to administer out-of-competition tests, with a 24-hour notice period in place for testing at unlicensed premises.

One element of the delay is the requirement for IHRB veterinary officers to be granted a service level agreement (SLA) by the department of agriculture, an essential condition in the regulator carrying out tests on unlicensed premises such as stud farms or pre-training yards.

Speaking the day after the IHRB's integrity services budget had been cut by €200,000 in the 2020 HRI budget, Egan told the Racing Post: "We're still working with the ITBA to agree protocols. The position with the department of agriculture in terms of the SLA is being worked on."

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Concerning the timeframe surrounding the rollout of testing on unlicensed premises: "I don't know when it will be completed as it's a slow process.

"Both sides are engaging positively and constructively trying to deliver, so it'll be done as quickly as we can. The aim is to have something in 2020."

The looming uncertainty of Brexit saw government funding for Irish racing remain static for the coming year, with the ramifications of Britain's European negotiations also keeping the department of agriculture engaged in safeguarding Ireland's €14 billion agriculture sector.

After Wednesday's HRI's annual budget announcement, Egan said he was disappointed with the cut in the integrity services budget, but he said he understood the circumstances relating to HRI's government funding levels.

"We'll obviously allocate our budget to the main priority areas. We have some initiatives which we had hoped to carry out, but we'll just change the phasing of those to ensure we can carry out our core functions to the standard required."

He added: "I wouldn't see an issue with anything to do with anti-doping."

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