'This is my whole livelihood' - Shark Hanlon says 12 staff will be let go if appeal against ten-month ban is unsuccessful

Shark Hanlon has said about 12 of his staff will be let go if he is unsuccessful with Monday's appeal against the severity of his ten-month suspension for bringing racing into disrepute after he transported a dead horse in an open trailer attached to one of his branded lorries.

The King George-winning trainer is set to sell the vast majority of his string in a dispersal sale at Doncaster this month, with the knock-on effect being a loss of up to a dozen staff, according to Hanlon.

He also claimed that an attempt to acquire a training licence for his partner and long-time head lass Rachel O'Neill was turned down by the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB), so he feels he has no other option but to offload most of his horses given the length of time during which they would not be allowed to run if they remained in his care.