A number of individuals working in the racing industry have fallen foul of breaching the Covid-19 restrictions on either side of the Irish Sea during November. H&H reviews the cases...
IRISH champion trainer Willie Mullins and two staff have been hit with fines and bans for breaching Covid protocols, while a conditional jockey received a 21-day suspension after failing to weigh in after a win at Taunton.
Mr Mullins’ groom Katie Murphy and stable representative Steve Jones broke racing restriction rules by travelling to Punchestown races on 14 November, having been at Aintree the previous week, and falsified health screening questionnaires.
The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board’s referrals committee banned both from attending Irish racecourses for three months and fined them €200 (£180) and €400 (£360) respectively. Mr Mullins was fined €2,500 (£2,240) and banned for two weeks.
“Enforcement remains only a method of last resort when drivers are determined to flout the rules”
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Lucy is an experienced news journalist, reporter and presenter. Since joining the Horse & Hound team in 2015, Lucy has reported from major global sporting events including the Tokyo Paralympic Games and multiple European Championships, as well as Badminton, Burghley and London, to name a few. She has covered current affairs and sports news across the full spectrum of equestrian disciplines and racing, as well as human and equine welfare, industry news and court cases.
