HANDLERS and owners have been reminded by the Referrals Committee that point-to-point entries and declarations “must accurately reflect the person who has actual responsibility for the horse and that a handler’s permit cannot be used merely as an administrative means of facilitating an entry”.

The issue came to light when the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board investigated a recent prohibited substance case.

This resulted in Co Cork handler Eamonn Gallagher being fined €2,500 over the presence of a prohibited substance in Thermal Overload, winner of an older horses’ maiden at Tallow last February.

During the investigation, Gallagher said Thermal Overload was not in his care and control when he signed the hunters certificate or at any time in the lead-up to the race in Tallow.

Separately, the Referrals Committee interviewed Con Hickey, owner of Thermal Overload, who confirmed he had care of the horse in the lead-up to the race and “met the case in a very forthright manner”. Hickey said that the horse had been trained by Gallagher for a period before getting injured. Thermal Overload recuperated in the care of his owner, who believes he may have inadvertently given the horse painkillers (bute) on the raceday instead of electrolytes.

Hickey was fined €2,500 and advised that any similar breach arising in the future may attract a more significant penalty. Issuing their judgement, the Referrals Committee expressed a wish that their decision be publicised to the wider point-to-point community.