Irish trainer Shark Hanlon has been banned for 10 months and fined €2,000 (£1,685) for transporting a dead horse in public view in an open trailer.
The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board’s disciplinary panel imposed the penalties on last year’s King George VI Chase winning trainer after finding he had “caused significant prejudice to the integrity, proper conduct and good reputation of the sport of racing”.
The dead horse was carried on a trailer which was towed by Hanlon’s branded horsebox, with the body left on display to the public after a tarpaulin became displaced during the journey.
A member of the public videoed the incident and it was widely circulated on social media.
This resulted in media attention and led the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board to bring charges against Hanlon saying the matter had “attracted significant public opprobrium and adverse comment” for both the trainer and sport.
The disciplinary panel found Hanlon had been “grossly negligent in the supervision of the transport of the horse carcass” and that there was “high culpability” on his part.
Following admissions from Hanlon on the morning of the hearing and an unannounced inspection of his yard that showed no welfare issues and no relevant previous rule breaches, the door has been left open on the trainer’s ban being halved.
“The committee is disposed to consider a future application to conditionally suspend the last five months of the 10 month withdrawal sanction,” added the ruling.
“The possible partial suspension of such a sanction to reflect mitigating factors is consistent with the previous approach of this committee.”
Hanlon trained Hewick to a dramatic victory in last year’s big Boxing Day chase at Kempton Park.