Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board
Controversies
Controversies tied to this brand in public sources. A listing is not a finding of fault.
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2023
Termination payment and financial governance scrutiny
The IHRB faced Public Accounts Committee scrutiny over a €384,870 termination package paid to former chief executive Denis Egan. A separate €350,000 transfer from an IHRB-administered charity to the regulator's accounts was later reported; the money was returned after three months.
2021
Gordon Elliott dead-horse photograph controversy
The IHRB banned trainer Gordon Elliott for 12 months, with six months suspended, after a photograph showed him sitting on a dead horse. The image generated widespread public condemnation and reputational concerns for Irish racing.
2021
Luke Comer anabolic-steroid case
Twelve horses associated with trainer and sponsor Luke Comer tested positive for anabolic steroids in November 2021. The IHRB imposed a three-year ban on Comer, in a case characterized as one of the largest doping controversies in Irish racing.