The Referrals Committee, Judge Tony Hunt (in the Chair), Sean Barry and Philip Caffrey met at the Turf Club, The Curragh, Co. Kildare on Thursday, 21st August 2014, to consider the referral of Ms. Joanna Morgan, Trainer, by Denis Egan, Chief Executive of the Turf Club following a random inspection carried out at her training establishment on 28th May 2014 by Turf Club Officials, Michael O’Donoghue and Andrew Tyrrell MRCVS.  During the inspection the officials discovered the following:

1. Six horses namely Captaen, Dandy Girl, Driveheron, Shifting, Sovereign Princess and Calle Aneto were no longer under her care and should have been returned out of training.

2. There was no secure medicines cabinet on the premises.

3. The Stable Employee Bonus Scheme Agreement for April 2014 was not displayed in an employee working area.

Evidence was heard from Michael O’Donoghue, Andrew Tyrrell MRCVS and Joanna Morgan.  The Committee also considered a written report on the visit which had been completed by Michael O’Donoghue and Andrew Tyrrell MRCVS.

In his evidence, Michael O’Donoghue confirmed the findings of the inspection report in relation to the horses not returned out of training, the lack of a secure medicines cabinet and the non display of the latest Stable Employee Bonus Scheme in a stable staff working area in her yard.

Andrew Tyrell MRCVS in his evidence said that there was no separate secure medicines cabinet.

In relation to the horses not returned out of training, Joanna Morgan said Calle Aneto had only been returned in training just two days before the inspection.  The horse was hard to keep sound and she had only sent him home the day before when he finished lame following work on her gallops.  Ms. Morgan accepted that the non return of the other horses out of training was an oversight.  She said that all issues identified had been rectified since the inspection.

Having considered the evidence the Committee found that Joanna Morgan was in breach of the following Rules:

a) Rule 148(vi) for failing to notify the Registry Office when the horses listed above (except Calle Aneto) had left her yard.  She was fined €130 in respect of each of the five rule breaches (total €650). They gave Ms. Morgan the benefit of the doubt in respect of her failure to return Calle Aneto out of training.

b) Rule 148(iii)(a) with regard to the safekeeping of medicines.

c) Rule 298 5 for failing to display the Stable Employee Bonus Scheme Agreement in an employee working area. Ms. Morgan was issued with a caution in respect of the breaches of Rules 148(iii)(a) and 298 5.

The case was presented by Conal Boyce, Solicitor, Naas, Co. Kildare.