After a thorough inquiry, the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) has determined that Petrol Head, the frontrunner for the Guinness Galway Hurdle, was administered a drug for medicinal reasons, leading to a positive doping test and his subsequent withdrawal from the race. This came to light after the horse, trained by Katy Brown, failed a drug test subsequent to his prior victory at Bellewstown in July.
The banned medication, clenbuterol, used for aiding respiratory issues, was identified in a hair sample from the horse. This medication is forbidden unless it can be proven that it was used for clinical treatment and has been properly logged in the trainer’s medicine register and validated by the stable’s vet.
Brown’s late withdrawal of Petrol Head from Ireland’s most lucrative handicap hurdle overshadowed the approach to the €270,000 Galway festival event. She blamed the IHRB for harassment, alleging that the authority didn’t want Petrol Head to participate, and asserted no link between her horse and its previous owner/trainer, Ronan McNally. McNally, who is based in Co Armagh, was barred by the IHRB the previous year.
Despite racing for Brown under the colours of the Orchard Garden syndicate, which according to the trainer had leased the horse, Petrol Head’s medication records submitted before the Galway festival included no mention of clenbuterol.
The IHRB stated that following the festival, Brown supplied a copy of a prescription noting the use of ventipulmin, a drug containing clenbuterol, earlier in the year when Petrol Head was reportedly under the care of its owner. With this, the IHRB instigated a secondary investigation to validate the prescription details, collecting additional data from the horse’s veterinarian about the drug’s usage, including the quantity and purpose.
Subsequently, a tail hair sample from the horse was secured by the IHRB veterinary team for in-depth laboratory testing. The analysis is now finalised and results have been received.
The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) has confirmed that the clenbuterol found in ‘Petrol Head’s’ hair samples aligns with its therapeutic use, as approved and validated by the veterinary surgeon. The IHRB, after conducting an investigation and considering all the evidence at hand, will not pursue additional action concerning this negative analytical result. The trainer has received a reminder about her responsibilities within the rulings, notably those addressing the medication administration record for horses under her care. Ms. Brown refrained from making any comment regarding the issue on Friday.