An up-and-coming Irish trainer, who could have a runner at Royal Ascot next month, has been hit with one of the biggest fines in the history of racing after having a winner disqualified for a positive cobalt sample and a subsequent stable inspection of his County Laois yard revealing misconduct of a "serious nature."
Kieran Cotter, who has sent out 51 winners since taking out his license and trains Queen Mary (G2) hopeful Matilda Picotte, was fined €27,500 and ordered to pay a further €7,500 in costs following an Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board referral hearing May 16.
Cotter's conduct was first brought to the attention of the IHRB after Slade Runner landed a handicap at Dundalk in January of 2021. A urine sample taken from the son of Slade Power revealed traces of cobalt which exceeded the international threshold.
In conjunction with Department of Agriculture officials, an unannounced inspection of Cotter's yard was carried out the following month on Feb. 3 and, while hair and blood samples taken from all the horses on his card revealed no results of concern, there were serious rule breaches in regard to veterinary products found.
Several different locations in the yard were inspected for the presence of animal remedies, including the stable area, a store shed, a garage, and the surrounding outside area that included the site of a bonfire, which was believed to be quite recent.
In addition to finding burned bottles of animal remedies on the bonfire site, other bottles, a number of used syringes, and needles with residues, including blood traces, were also seized.
Cotter had not been maintaining a medicines register for a number of years prior to the stable inspection. There were used syringes and needles left lying around the premises, with Cotter claiming not to know their origins. The trainer denied using them.
Other areas of concern included the apparent general use of veterinary medicines, other than under veterinary supervision, which suggested Cotter was self-medicating some of the horses in his care.
He also administered, via intravenous injection, medicines without veterinary oversight, contrary to proper procedures. The referrals committee said there was a reckless disregard to the potential effects or consequences of administering the cobalt drench to Slade Runner in particular.
The committee did not find Cotter in breach of the rules for possession of illegal substances in his yard but did state that his conduct was of a serious nature.
He was fined €2,500 for the adverse analytical finding for cobalt after Slade Runner won at Dundalk. The horse was subsequently disqualified.
The committee imposed another fine of €5,000 for a breach of a rule which states "the trainer is responsible for everything connected with the welfare, training, and running of all horses under the care of that trainer and that Slade Runner had been administered cobalt the day before the race."
Cotter's biggest fine of €20,000 came for failing to maintain his medicines register and failing to ensure he and his staff, who had access to medicines, were fully conversant with the rules and regulations relating to prohibited substances, and that he had failed to be responsible for the safekeeping and administration of medicines having failed to securely lock the medicines' cabinet.
Cotter was also ordered to pay legal costs of €7,500 to the IHRB.
Four years ago Cotter teamed up with Danny Murphy, an experienced trainer on the international stage, and he explained to the committee the pair had formed a 50-50 business partnership.
Cotter said Murphy had introduced him to some Australian training methods and was able to attract new owners and investment into the training establishment. In his evidence, he described this as a positive move as before he was training what he called a bunch of "third division" horses.
It is unclear at this stage if Cotter will appeal the sanctions.
