Galway born billionaire and horse trainer Luke Comer has been suspended from training horses for three years, and ordered to cover substantial costs, after a number of his horses failed drug tests.
The Irish Horse Racing Regulatory Board published the ruling against Comer on Thursday over the presence of anabolic steroids found in 12 horses.
He has been handed a three year ban on training horses, which will commence in January, as well as fined €85,000. He was also found liable for costs of approximately €750,000.
The case related to tests carried out in October and November 2021, where multiple horses tested positive for methandienone (MD) and methlylestosterone (MT), both anabolic steroids.
He Knows No Fear was tested on October 16 after a race at Leopardstown, and tested positive from a hair sample.
A total of 12 horses: He Knows No Fear, Old Tom Higgins, Boxing Hero, Grand d’Espagne, Aircraft Carrier, Powerful Don, Wee Jim, Great Moon, Our Man Flint, Questionare, Green Force, and Blyton, were then tested in unannounced inspection at Eagle Lodge, Kilternan on November 10.
The Board did not find any direct evidence of deliberate doping of horses in this case.
Mr Comer categorically denied that he or any of his staff were involved in deliberately doping the horses. He accepted the presence of the drugs, saying that they were small trace amounts.
It was suggested that the presence of the drugs might have been the result of environmental contamination, with hay eaten by the horses contaminated through pig slurry.
The Board said it was not possible to determine how the horses came to test positive, but fined Comer in respect of the positive drug tests, and for the “reputational damage” this will have on horseracing in Ireland.
Luke Comer maintains that he is not guilty of any misconduct.
Luke and his brother Brian Comer are originally from Glenamaddy, and have made a multiple billion euro property empire that extends internationally.
In Galway the brothers became the owners of Galway United Football Club in March of 2022, after having been the club’s lead sponsor since 2013
