Cheltenham Festival-winning trainer Tony Martin to lose licence for three months from May after breaking anti-doping rules

Multiple Cheltenham Festival winner Tony Martin will not be allowed to train for three months after the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board was successful in its appeal against the leniency of the sanction initially handed down to the trainer for breaking anti-doping rules last year.

That suspension will begin on May 15 and Martin could have won a second Irish Grand National by then as the trainer is represented by Good Time Jonny in the Easter Monday marathon at Fairyhouse. 

Martin was initially hit with a six-month suspension after Firstman tested positive for lidocaine, a local anaesthetic prohibited on racedays, following his emphatic victory in a Dundalk handicap in January last year.

That sentence was suspended for two years provided he did not breach any anti-doping rules in that period, so Martin was allowed to continue with his business. 

Martin was also issued a €10,000 fine for that Firstman positive test result and the trainer appealed against its severity.

Not only was he unsuccessful with that appeal, but the appeals body ruled in favour of the IHRB on Thursday and made a decision that only three months of the sentence would be suspended, meaning he will not have a licence for most of the summer. His suspension will end on August 15.

A spokesperson for the IHRB said: "The appeals body determined the original six-month withdrawal of Mr Martin's licence would remain, but with just three months of the six months suspended, and that the amount of the fine would remain unchanged. Mr Martin's period of suspension will begin on May 15. The full written decision will be issued in due course."

Good Time Jonny: Irish Grand National contender for Tony MartinCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

A referrals panel originally met in August 2023 and reconvened in November to hear the case. It emerged that following Firstman’s positive test, an unannounced inspection of Martin’s yard was conducted, with hair and blood samples carried out on nine horses, including Firstman, and all results returned negative.

Martin won the Irish Grand National with Davids Lad back in 2001, and last year's Pertemps Final winner has been supported into 11-1 with bet365 for the 3m5f chase. There is still 16-1 available with Betfair, Paddy Power and Ladbrokes. 

Firstman was the third Martin-trained winner in four years to fail a drugs test and now the trainer, who has five Grade 1s to his name as well as a whole host of the biggest handicaps, including four Galway Hurdles, a County Hurdle and a Coral Cup, will not have a licence for three months during the summer.

Read more . . .

Trainer Tony Martin hit with suspended six-month ban after third winner in four years fails dope test 

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