Trainer Shark Hanlon has ban for dead horse incident reduced to six months after appeal

The trainer of King George VI Chase victor Hewick was primitively suspended for 10 months and was told helium could get the past 3 months of the revised condemnation suspended

Trainer John ‘Shark’ Hanlon has been partially palmy successful an entreaty against a 10-month suspension for transporting a dormant equine successful an unfastened trailer which was filmed by a subordinate of the public.

In September Hanlon, who trains past year’s King George VI Chase leader Hewick, was recovered by the Referrals Committee of the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board of acting successful a mode that “caused important prejudice to the integrity, due behaviour and bully estimation of the athletics of racing”.

This stemmed from the removal of a dormant equine from his gait earlier this twelvemonth which was carried connected an unfastened trailer being towed by Hanlon’s branded horsebox, with the assemblage near connected show to the nationalist aft a tarpaulin became displaced during the journey.

A subordinate of the nationalist videoed the incidental which was wide circulated connected societal media, and led to the IHRB bringing charges against Hanlon, saying the behaviour “attracted important nationalist opprobrium and adverse comment” some for the trainer personally and racing successful general.

Hanlon appealed the severity of the authorisation – owed to statesman connected December 1 – and had already been unsuccessful successful attempting to hold the opening of the prohibition until April to springiness him clip to hole a ineligible lawsuit and marque circumstantial concern arrangements.

Hanlon felt the punishment could person been a monetary fine, but the appeals sheet rejected this, saying Hanlon’s behaviour “passed the threshold of attracting lone a fiscal penalty”.

The trainer besides argued that the magnitude of the suspension had failed to instrumentality into relationship the differences betwixt this and akin different cases, namely those of trainer Gordon Elliott and jockey Rob James, banned for 12 months each with six and 8 months suspended respectively.

In giving its verdict connected the appeal, the sheet said: “Having considered each of the grounds and arguments we person travel to the decision that the Referrals Committee ought to person fixed a shorter header authorisation of six months successful this lawsuit successful bid to instrumentality relationship of a large quality betwixt Mr Hanlon’s behaviour and that of Messrs. Elliott and James.

“In their cases, the deficiency of respect demonstrated to the carcass of the deceased carnal successful each lawsuit was deliberate and wilful. Mr Hanlon’s was not. He was negligent albeit to a precocious degree. We bash not deliberation that the simplification of the header punishment from 1 of 12 months withdrawal of licence to 10 months adequately addresses that large difference.

“It besides has to beryllium borne successful caput that the negligence of Mr Hanlon occurred successful a azygous enactment of comparatively abbreviated duration. We are not to beryllium taken arsenic holding that negligence arsenic chiseled from a deliberate enactment mightiness not pull a 10- oregon adjacent 12-month withdrawal of licence successful due circumstances. Had determination been continuing acts of negligence here, past the 10-month fig mightiness good beryllium justified.

“However, that was not the lawsuit and truthful we are of sentiment that the header fig of six months withdrawal is the close one.”

Hanlon’s licence to bid volition beryllium withdrawn for a play of six months from December 1 and the Referrals Committee whitethorn see an exertion to conditionally suspend the past 3 months of the six-month withdrawal sanction.