'The fallout and the headlines cast a shadow over the sport' - trainers' chief responds to Luke Comer doping scandal

The Luke Comer doping scandal has cast a shadow over Irish racing, according to the chief executive of the Irish Racehorse Trainers Association (IRTA), but Ryan McElligott remained adamant his members were playing by the rules and pointed out that only 11 of around 6,000 samples taken last year returned adverse analytical findings.

Comer had his training licence suspended for three years, from January 1, 2024, and was ordered to pay €840,754 in fines and costs after 12 of his horses tested positive for the anabolic steroids methandienone (MD) and methyltestosterone (MT).

In a hearing that lasted nine days, Comer claimed environmental contamination was the most plausible reason for the findings and argued that hay consumed by his horses may have been contaminated with MD or MT through pig slurry.

However, the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board's (IHRB) chief executive Darragh O'Loughlin said on Friday there was no evidence put forward to substantiate the hypothesis that it occurred in the environment.

McElligott said: "In terms of this case it was obviously a large, difficult and very complex one, as evidenced by the report, the verdict and the costs associated.

"The complexity lies in the fact that prohibited-at-all-times substances were found in 12 horses but, on the other hand, there was no direct evidence of doping.

"The fallout from this case and the headlines generated by Wednesday’s findings will cast a shadow on the sport. However, it is more than significant that around 6,000 regulatory samples last year yielded just 11 adverse analytical findings, which translates to just 0.16 per cent.

"Such figures would point to Ireland’s strong standing in respect of anti-doping, both at home and abroad."

He added: "The IRTA wholeheartedly supports Irish racing’s equine anti-doping programme and everything it entails."

According to media reports, Comer continues to maintain his innocence and will launch an appeal against the sanctions imposed last week. The trainer could not be reached for comment by the Racing Post on Sunday.

The BHA emphasised on Sunday that its own anti-doping testing regime was "rigorous and extensive" and that it had confidence all horses competing in Britain were doing so fairly.

A spokesman said: "The BHA takes extremely seriously its responsibility to ensure British racing is clean and fair, and is confident in its rigorous and extensive testing regime, which encompasses testing on racedays as well as out of competition.

"This work gives us no reason to believe that horses in Britain enjoy anything other than the highest standards of care and that our racing takes place on a level playing field."

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Huge doping scandal hits Ireland as billionaire businessman Luke Comer banned for three years and hit with fines and costs of €840,754 

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