'It's created a lot of difficulty' - calls for racecourse saunas to be reopened in Ireland grow

The secretary of the Irish Jockeys Association believes it is time to review the decision to close saunas at Irish racecourses and to consider whether the move has led to "unintended consequences".

When the decision was announced last year, Andrew Coonan highlighted the difficulties the closure of saunas would create for riders, but said the IJA would be guided by medical advice from Dr Jennifer Pugh, senior medical officer of the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB). However, he now believes it is time for all parties to conduct a review. 

He said: "It has undoubtedly created a lot of difficulty for riders, there’s no question about that. It was always the situation that the majority of riders were in favour of having them reopened and that's still the case. Whether they reopen needs to be considered in light of all the medical research that has been conducted.