County Down trainer banned for three months for forging vaccination passports

Lee Smyth has had his licence suspended for three months and has been hit with fines and costs totalling €10,000 after admitting that flu vaccinations on the passports of two horses in his care in 2018 were forged.

The County Down trainer appeared before an Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) referrals committee on December 8, following a four-year investigation. It was a case that was triggered by a complaint from a vet, Mark Seager, regarding the authenticity of stamps and signatures purporting to be his, while vetting horses for sales in November of 2018.

The horses in question were Wowsham, owned by David Laverty, and Ty Rock Brandy, who was bred by Laverty. Giving evidence, Laverty outlined that the passports of both horses were in the care of the trainer at all times.

Charges against Laverty were dismissed, as Smyth accepted that the entries on the passport of Wowsham on March 1, 2018 and of Ty Rock Brandy on the February 5, 2018, were forgeries.

Smyth was subsequently found in breach of rule 272, the regulation that covers bringing racing into disrepute, in that he conducted his training and running of Wowsham and Ty Rock Brandy in a manner prejudicial to the integrity, proper conduct or good reputation of horseracing in Ireland.

He was also found to be in breach of another clause of the same rule for knowingly supplying misleading information when putting the passports forward for inspection on four occasions in 2018 at Down Royal, Sligo, the Curragh and Dundalk, while the horses were disqualified from five unplaced runs in the relevant timeframe.

However, Ty Rock Brandy won twice at Wolverhampton in between, so it remains to be seen what action the BHA will take, and the IHRB has confirmed that the BHA has been advised of the findings in relation to the case.

A further finding of engaging in corrupt or fraudulent practice by making or allowing another person to make a false entry into the passports was established against Smyth.

In presenting the falsified passports to raceday veterinary officials, he was found to have acted in a manner “likely to cause serious damage to the interests of horse racing in Ireland”.

Justice Raymond Groarke, who chaired the IHRB panel, said the issue undermined one of the most important biosecurity activities of the IHRB to safeguard the racing industry in Ireland.

In mitigation, it was taken into account that Smyth, who has trained 48 winners on the Flat since taking out his licence in 2008, had never previously committed any acts of serious misconduct, and that he operates a small family-run training establishment.

The committee suspended Smyth’s licence for a period of three months, fining him €6,000 and ordering that he contribute a further €4,000 toward the IHRB’s costs.

Groarke added: "Any future similar breaches by trainers should lead to severe sanctions including a considerably longer period of suspension."

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