Liz Doyle accuses Chris Gordon's solicitor of attempted character assassination

Liz Doyle claimed in the High Court on Friday that SC Mark Harty, solicitor for the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board's security chief Chris Gordon, was attempting to assassinate her character during cross-examination.

The court also heard that, in Doyle's mind, the people Noel Meade referred to in the contentious Irish Field interview published in August 2014 were Gordon and his deputy Declan Buckley.

In that interview, Meade accused inspectors of behaving in an unprofessional manner and claimed some trainers were being treated like criminals during random stable inspections.

Liz Doyle - Chris Gordon tried to pull off 'old-fashioned Garda trick'

Meade's evidence is that he was not referring to Gordon, who is suing the Irish Racehorse Trainers Association for defamation.

Instead, Meade has claimed his anger was aimed at Department Of Agriculture inspector Louis Reardon and not anybody working for the IHRB.

However, when questioned about that interview, which is a key part of Gordon's case, Doyle revealed that it was in her mind that such comments pertained to Gordon and Buckley alone.

When asked by Harty who Doyle was thinking about when she read Meade’s comments, she said: “From a personal point of view, Chris Gordon producing the false document to me.”

Harty then proceeded to read out passages of the interview. Asked if she had been annoyed by the inspection, and whether her annoyance was directed at the Turf Club – as the IHRB was then – inspectors or Department of Agriculture inspectors, Doyle said: “Very much so. For me, it was the Turf Club inspectors. I never even spoke to Louis Reardon on the day.”

Harty then asked which inspectors had annoyed Doyle the most, to which she replied: “Mr Chris Gordon and Mr Declan Buckley.”

Doyle was then questioned about the identity of the people she says behaved unprofessionally during the inspections, to which she replied: “Mr Chris Gordon and Mr Declan Buckley.”

Before moving on from the Irish Field interview, Harty asked who Doyle said treated people like criminals, to which she replied: “Mr Chris Gordon.”

It was when Doyle was being pressed about what information IHRB chief executive Denis Egan relayed to her about the documents that were produced on the morning her yard was inspected and subsequently at Fairyhouse on April 6 by Buckley that she accused Harty of attempting to assassinate her character.

Brian Kavanagh: attended a meeting with Liz Doyle and Joe Keeling among others in November 2014, the court learned on FridayCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

The court also learned about a previously undisclosed meeting Doyle attended with Horse Racing Ireland chief executive Brian Kavanagh and its chairman Joe Keeling in November 2014.

IRTA chief Michael Grassick was also present along with Meade, and Doyle relayed her complaints to the HRI bosses. No Turf Club representatives were invited.

The case, which is being heard by Mr Justice Bernard Barton and is understood to have cost in the region of €1m already, enters its sixth week and 21st day on Tuesday, the same day the Cheltenham Festival gets under way.

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