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The Referrals Committee, Mr Justice Frank Clarke (Chair), Mr Michael Sheahan and Mr Marcus Magnier convened at the offices of the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board on Tuesday, 30 June 2026 to consider whether Mr Patrick Kelly (Trainer) was in breach of any Rules of Racing arising from a stable inspection carried out at his Training Establishment on 23 January 2026 by IHRB officials.
On the day of the inspection, the inspection team noted that two horses were returned in Mr Kelly’s care but were not identified at his Training Establishment and 10 horses were recorded as present at the Training Establishment but were not returned in Mr Kelly’s care. Furthermore, the passports for 17 horses recorded in Mr Kelly’s care were not available for inspection and were not subsequently made available for inspection. It was also noted that the Medicines Register was incomplete.
In her submissions, Ms Christine Traynor, IHRB Head of Racing Regulation and Integrity informed the panel that Mr Kelly had failed to engage with or reply to any correspondence from the IHRB following the inspection.
Having considered the evidence, Justice Frank Clarke delivered the following decision on behalf of the Referral Committee.
“The panel has considered this matter, firstly, it is clear from the documentation supplied by the IHRB, that each of the breaches set out in the charge letter, arising from the post licensing stable inspection of 23 January 2026, were made out.
“Initially, therefore, the panel would impose financial penalties. In relation to the breach of Rule 148(xii)(a) and (xii)(b)(i) which concerns horse traceability we impose a fine of €900, so far as the breach of Rule 85(iii) regarding horse passports we impose a fine of €500, in relation to Rule 85(vii) which is ensuring passports contain records of all vaccinations we impose a fine of €500. In respect of Rule 148(iv) which concerns the Medicines Register we impose a fine of €250 and so far as Rule 148(vii) we impose a fine of €250
“In that latter context, the panel would note that ordinarily it might well have been that only one fine of €250 would have been imposed in respect of breaches on the medicine side, but having regard to the failure of Mr Kelly to engage with the IHRB subsequent to the inspection and the charges, separate penalties are imposed in that regard.
“This panel takes a very serious view of the complete failure, on the part of the Trainer concerned, to engage with the IHRB, there is no reason to believe that any of these, not insignificant breaches, have been remedied in the intervening period. It would have been open to Mr Kelly to either write to the IHRB or answer calls from the IHRB or indeed to attend before this panel today and explain matters. But in the light of the fact that there is a significant set of breaches, and no evidence that any of them have been attended to, the panel proposes to impose a suspension of Mr Kelly's license with effect from seven days from today's date, with the caveat that, in the event that Mr Kelly, within that seven days, satisfactorily engages with the IHRB and satisfies the IHRB that the breaches have either been remedied or in the reasonable course of being remedied, then that suspension will not come into force.”
The case was presented by Ms Christine Traynor BL, IHRB Head of Racing Regulation and Integrity.