Shark Hanlon's €250 fine for verbal abuse of Listowel clerk to be reviewed

Click here to add us to your Google preferred sources or find out more here

Shark Hanlon's €250 fine for verbal abuse towards Listowel's clerk of the course could be increased after the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) applied for a review of the sanction.

Hanlon is said to have become ‘irate’ at Paul Moloney following the second race on the card last Monday, expressing his view that the track had been overwatered given the forecast rain.

The trainer had two runners on the card, with the second of those, Mo Ghille Mar, finishing seventh at odds of 5-1 in the 2m handicap hurdle immediately before Hanlon’s dispute with the clerk.

Following the altercation, Hanlon was asked to explain his actions by the raceday stewards, as outlined in their official report. 

The trainer accepted that he had been abusive towards Moloney and apologised for his actions. He was found in breach of the rule governing verbal abuse towards an official. Taking into account his ‘clean record in this regard’, he was fined €250.

But the IHRB has now chosen to review the penalty. In a statement, the governing body said: "Following a review of the inquiry file and the evidence available, the IHRB has determined that an application should be made to the referrals committee pursuant to Rule 27(i) of the rules of racing for a review of the sanction imposed by the raceday stewards. 

"A referrals committee will be convened to consider the matter in accordance with the rules of racing.”

One of the areas Rule 27 (i) covers is when “it appears to the IHRB that a sanction imposed was unduly lenient”. 

Upon review, it allows the referrals committee to impose a greater sanction if it deems fit to do so.

Read more . . .

'It's great to get that monkey off my back' - Josephine Gordon has first winner since hearing operation 

'Ride her like Nijinsky' - Kevin Blake's incredible confidence behind Thundering On and the genius that is Joseph O'Brien 

John Gosden 'hopeful rather than confident' on major Royal Ascot hope making the meeting - and thinks it is a big ask on return 

Sign up to receive On The Nose, our essential daily newsletter, from the Racing Post. Your unmissable morning feed, direct to your email inbox every morning.