Irish stable staff boss hits out at IHRB over racecourse stable yard rules

Irish racing's rules on horses left unattended in racecourse stable yards are "nearly impossible" to comply with, according to the leader of the country's stable staff as part of a powerful broadside at the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board.

Bernard Caldwell, chief executive of the Irish Stable Staff Association, also called for Horse Racing Ireland to take over the sport's regulatory duties from the IHRB.

The requirement for horses to be attended at all times in stable yards came to prominence earlier this year when Charles Byrnes was suspended for six months after leaving Viking Hoard unattended at Tramore on the afternoon the horse was nobbled in October 2018.