Limerick 22nd March 2026

At the request of the Raceday Stewards, P.T. Smithers, rider of Malikanna, trained by Padraig Roche, reported to the Stewards' Secretaries that his mount was outpaced for most of the race and kept on in the closing stages.

The Raceday Stewards enquired into the running and riding of Freddie's Back, ridden by S.W. Flanagan and trained by E. McNamara. Evidence was heard from the rider and trainer concerned. S.W. Flanagan stated that his instructions were to get cover early on and ride his best race from there. He said his mount was carried wide after the second hurdle, causing him to lose some ground at a point when the three front runners were stretching clear. He further added that the horse he was racing beside started to tire and he was left isolated. He concluded by stating that his mount had burst a blood vessel previously and had not run since December which was to the forefront of his mind throughout. E. McNamara confirmed the instructions given and expressed his satisfaction with the ride. He outlined the animal’s previous veterinary history and felt that if the rider had chased the front runners earlier he would not have finished as well as he did. He also added that the first and second placed horses were highly rated and he felt he had no realistic chance of racing with them but would have been delighted if the rider felt Freddie's Back was capable on the day. He concluded by stating that on pulling up, his charge looked to have had a hard race, and was found to have burst blood vessels following endoscopic examination by the Racecourse Veterinary Officer. The Raceday Stewards also received a report from the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board Veterinary Officer who stated that the animal was clinically abnormal post race and had pulled off a right front shoe. Having viewed the recording of the race and considered the evidence, the Raceday Stewards noted the explanations given and took no further action.

The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board Veterinary Officer examined Klass Langy (FR), trained by Joseph Patrick O'Brien, at the request of the Raceday Stewards and reported the animal to be post race normal.

C.M Hogan, rider of Dream In The Park, trained by E. McNamara, reported to the Clerk of the Scales that his mount sustained an injury when he had committed to jump the fence passing the stand with a circuit to go. He then pulled up and dismounted as quickly as possible.

The following Raceday Stewards acted on behalf of the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board at this race meeting:

Mr. M. Moloney (Chairman),

Mr. M. Lyons,

Dr. E. O'Beirn,

Dr. C. O'Flaherty,

Mr. L. Walsh.

For this race meeting, the Raceday Stewards suspended the "Starting Procedures for Tape Starts" and the IHRB suspended the relevant parts of Rule 208 and 209.

Disclaimer: Please note this information is provisional and is subject to amendment until published in the Irish Racing Calendar.