Friday 14 June 2024: The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board has published its annual report and accounts for 2022, with further progress made across a number of key areas of strategic focus for the organisation.
2022 saw the appointment of Darragh O’Loughlin as the racing regulatory body’s new CEO and significant progress on several initiatives which aim to enhance the integrity and reputation of Irish horseracing.
These included the implementation of a number of recommendations of Dr Craig Suann’s independent review into the IHRB’s Equine Anti-doping Programme, which found existing standards to ‘match international best practice in most respects’, and the installation of nearly 400 cameras in 25 racecourse stable yards all over Ireland in 2022. The Suann review recommended that with the roll-out of CCTV on all racecourses, CCTV should be installed in the sampling units of each racecourse, a point which the IHRB accepted and acted on that recommendation.
As part of its commitment to underscore independence and diversity within the organisation, the IHRB also made a number of key appointments in 2022, including the appointments of Mary Cullen and Angela Flanagan as its first-ever independent Directors.
Commenting on the publication of the 2022 Annual Report, IHRB CEO Darragh O’Loughlin said:
“Horse racing remains a central pillar of Irish sport. The restructuring of raceday operations undertaken in 2022 will underpin the ongoing safe, efficient running of races across the country. 2022 saw almost 500 race meeting and Point to Point fixtures featuring close to 40,000 runners across Ireland. The increase in applications to train horses in 2022 also points to a strong future for our sport.
“I am pleased to say 2022 saw an increase in the number of stable inspections carried out by our team, significant advancements in the rollout of CCTV to all racecourse stable yards and to anti-doping regulations, following Dr Suann’s review. The IHRB takes its legal responsibilities to protect the reputation and integrity of Irish horseracing on the domestic and international stage very seriously and these measures have had a profound positive impact in this regard over the last 18 months.”
The IHRB’s robust Equine Anti-Doping programme saw almost 5,500 horses tested in 2022, giving rise to 11 (0.2%) adverse analytical findings.
John Byrne, who succeeded Martin O’Donnell as the Chairperson of the IHRB on 1 January 2024, commented on the publication of the 2022 IHRB Annual Report:
“I wish to thank all of the raceday staff and volunteers who commit to upholding the integrity of Irish horseracing on a daily basis.
“I am encouraged by the real progress we are making to enhance the reputation of Irish horse racing.”
The Annual Report also includes reference by the Comptroller and Auditor General’s (C&AG) to an issue the IHRB highlighted in June 2023.
Commenting on the C&AG’s published opinion, Darragh O’Loughlin said:
“When the issue pertaining to a transfer of €350,000 from the Jockeys’ Emergency Fund to the IHRB and its subsequent repayment came to the Board’s attention, we immediately notified the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the Comptroller and Auditor General and Horse Racing Ireland. The IHRB then commissioned Mazars to carry out an independent external review and it is our intention to publish the recommendations of the report once it is completed.”