Denis Hogan’s suspension postponed until start of September

An Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board appeals panel has postponed to September the start of controversial trainer Denis Hogan’s three-month suspension for a series of failed dope tests.

Last month Hogan had his licence suspended by an IHRB referrals body after Ballyadam Destiny failed a drugs test following a victory at Galway in October.

It was the fourth time in the last five years that a Hogan-trained winner had to be disqualified after failing a dope test.

The suspension had been due to start on August 1st, which is Day Two of the Galway festival, at which Hogan is likely to have a significant number of runners.

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Having originally indicated he would appeal against the ban, Hogan opted to appeal merely against its commencement date.

An IHRB statement on Friday outlined a hearing earlier this week where Hogan said he has 60 horses in training and employs 15 staff, including four licensed apprentice jockeys.

Hogan said he accepted that he had made a “significant mistake” and that the referrals committee’s decision was “not unjust”.

He wanted the commencement date moved to September 1st in order “for his staff and owners, who were blameless in this situation, to suffer as little inconvenience as possible”.

He said he would remove himself from any operational activity in his yard for the period of three months and was hoping to find an appropriate trainer to take over the business for that period.

The appeals panel said it was conscious Hogan represented himself at the referrals hearing and was “not in full mind” to understand the sanction’s implications. It allowed the postponement so the trainer could “organise his affairs”.

Hogan, who runs Big Baby Bull in Saturday’s €100,000 Paddy Power Scurry Handicap at the Curragh, is the first trainer to be suspended for a drugs offence in Ireland in three years.

David Dunne had his licence removed for four months in 2020 following a failed appeal against the severity of a fine after his runner, Druim Samhraidh, tested positive for an anabolic steroid at Ballinrobe in 2019.

Separately, Sunday’s Group Two feature at the Curragh is the €120,000 Romanised Minstrel Stakes.

It sees the Aga Khan’s Tarawa drop back to seven furlongs after some good efforts at a mile and the prospect of soft ground conditions shouldn’t be an issue.

The going also looks like a potential plus for the Gladness winner Goldana in the Group Three MJ Kennedy Stakes.