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The Referrals Committee, Mr Michael Hickey (Chair), Mr Michael Sheahan and Mr Noel McCaffrey, convened at the offices of the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board on Tuesday, 23 June 2026 to consider whether Mr Jonathan Sweeney (Trainer) was in breach of any Rules of Racing arising from a stable inspection carried out at his Training Establishment on 25 March 2026 by IHRB officials.
On the day of inspection, the inspection team noted that 11 horses were identified at the Training Establishment but were not returned in Mr Sweeney’s care.
At the Referral Hearing, the Committee considered submissions made on behalf of Mr Sweeney by Mr John Fitzgerald, Restricted Trainers Association, including acceptance of the breach of Rules, an understanding of the consequences, and confirmation that new procedures were in place to prevent a recurrence.
Having considered the evidence, the Referrals Committee found Mr Sweeney in breach of 11 counts of Rule 148(xii) and having regard to submissions, the Committee imposed a total fine of €900.
The case was presented by Ms Christine Traynor BL, IHRB Head of Racing Regulation and Integrity.