Decision on Labaik High Court battle expected on Monday

A decision in the High Court battle between the owner of the 2017 Supreme Novices Hurdle hero Labaik and the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) is expected on Monday.

CAB alleges John Boylan, a convicted drug dealer, bought 90 per cent of the horse with the proceeds of crime.

The bureau is due to inform the court, which will be heard by Ms Justice Carmel Stewart, that Labaik is back in training after recovering from injury.

Labaik’s trainer Gordon Elliott has reported that the horse could make his first start since the 2017 Punchestown festival in next month’s Morgiana Hurdle at the same venue.

At the end of a hearing of the case in April, Ms Justice Stewart reserved her judgment and ordered that Labaik’s passport should remain with CAB until she announced her decision.

The court heard that Boylan, aka John Power, from Forest Hill, Rathcoole, County Dublin, has 67 criminal convictions, including two for drug offences.

Boylan denied that he had purchased his 90 per cent share of the horse from the proceeds of crime.

Gordon Elliott: has said Labaik could make his first start since the 2017 Punchestown festival in next month’s Morgiana HurdleCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

In her affidavit to the court, Det Garda Lisa McHugh, from CAB, said the owners had been planning to sell Labaik at Aintree on April 6, 2017 and had hoped to net between €300,000 and €400,000 as a result, although in reality she said he might have been expected to make around €150,000.

However, CAB secured an interim court order and seized the horse’s passport.

Elliott subsequently asked for the return of the passport to allow Labaik to run at the Punchestown festival.

Labaik ran twice at Punchestown but effectively refused to start in the Herald Champion Novice Hurdle. Three days later he finished fourth behind Wicklow Brave in the Betdaq Champion Hurdle and was afterwards found to have suffered a serious leg injury.

The court heard evidence from CAB officers that there was an unexplained differential between income and expenditure of around €750,000.

Boylan denied this money was the proceeds of drug dealing but claimed it was a result of gambling and the sale of two piebald horses.

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