THE Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board [IHRB] has defended its decision to bring what proved to be an unsuccessful Referrals Committee case against jockey Philip Byrnes and trainer Charles Byrnes.

The father and son team from Ballingarry in Co Limerick were cleared this week of breaking any rules of racing over the running and riding of Redwood Queen in a claiming hurdle at Wexford in May 2025.

The race provided one of the most talked-about incidents of the year in Irish racing. Redwood Queen, representing the Byrnes duo, looked sure to win the race until just after the final flight of hurdles when the jockey was unseated.

Although there was no stewards’ enquiry on the day, the IHRB later alleged that the jockey deliberately “left the saddle” and in doing so acted “in a manner which was prejudicial to the integrity, proper conduct and good reputation of horse racing.”

The charge against the trainer was that he also damaged Irish racing’s reputation through a statement given to The Irish Field a few days after the race in which he questioned the wisdom of launching an investigation into the matter. The Referrals Committee heard the case on December 15th and gave its result on Thursday.

“Poor horsemanship”

They found that “the IHRB complaint of deliberate conduct on the part of the jockey is not made out. We are of the opinion that what occurred on this occasion was an example of poor horsemanship on the part of the jockey, consistent with his pre-existing poor falls record.

“In our opinion on the occasion in question the jockey’s position of instability stemmed from an exuberant jump by the horse, resulting in the loss of both irons consecutively. His effort to remain on board by holding onto the reins and neck strap was unsuccessful.”

With regard to the charge against the trainer, the Committee said: “We are far from satisfied that it was either wise or prudent to make the statement at all, but in our view it fell short of the breach of the Rule alleged.”

Since the ruling was published the IHRB has been criticised in some quarters for its handling of the case. The Referrals Committee, in its judgement, largely dismissed the testimony of the IHRB’s expert witnesses.

Asked to comment on the outcome of the case, and if an appear would be lodged, a spokesperson for the IHRB said: “The IHRB was justified in investigating this incident and referring it to hearing, and the approach taken was thorough and evidence-led. The independently chaired Referrals Committee’s published decision speaks for itself. The IHRB respects that decision and, under the Rules of Racing, the circumstances in which an appeal may arise do not apply in this case.

“The Committee, chaired by Mr Justice Peter Kelly, confirmed that the investigation and referral were justified, appropriate, and conducted using the powers available under the Rules of Racing.

The matter was examined in detail at a full hearing, with the Committee’s conclusions reached primarily on the basis of the multi-angle video evidence.”

BHA information

It emerged yesterday that the raceday stewards at Wexford were alerted before and after the Redwood Queen race that there had been unusual betting patterns. The information was relayed by the British Horseracing Authority which, at the time, was under contract from the IHRB to monitor betting activity on Irish racing.

According to The Nick Luck Podcast, the BHA also contacted the IHRB’s Integrity Department at the end of the day. However, the BHA data was not referred to in the judgement.

The Irish Field believes that the IHRB formed a view that the BHA’s betting information was insufficiently robust to support their case against the jockey.

The IHRB’s official comment was: “Betting and exchange activity was monitored through established channels and the evidence presented reflected that monitoring.”

The IHRB’s Rules of Racing state that the IHRB, or the Referrals Committee, or a Senior Racing Official who is investigating a matter can request bank records and phone records from licensed individuals such as trainers and jockeys.

The process involves the IHRB appointing an independent adjudicating officer who decides whether or not there are reasonable grounds to request the records.

If a decision is made to ask the licence holder to submit their phone or bank records, and they decline to do so, this “shall constitute grounds for an application by the Directors of the IHRB or their agents to a court or courts of competent jurisdiction to compel such person to provide such telephone records and/or bank records.”

Asked if the IHRB or the Referrals Committee availed of this mechanism, an IHRB spokesperson said: “The Rules permit more intrusive steps only in tightly defined circumstances, which were not applicable here.”

An independent legal expert told The Irish Field: “This was always going to be a struggle for the IHRB to prosecute successfully. The only real piece of evidence they had was the video footage, which was open to interpretation.

“It might be a different story if you had phone records from the respondents which, for example, linked them with third parties who placed irregular bets on that particular race. Betting companies, I believe, are open to sharing that information with the IHRB. I know that this does happen in Britain when the BHA investigates similar cases.”

Even though Charles and Philip Byrnes were not found guilty of any rule breaking by the Referrals Committee, The Irish Field understands that they will have to pay their own legal expenses which are estimated to be at least €15,000.

The IHRB’s long-serving Head of Security, Chris Gordon, recently left the organisation, as did his second-in-command, Declan Buckley.

Asked if these positions are to be filled, the IHRB said: “The roles of Head of Security and Deputy Head of Security have been made redundant as part of a broader restructuring of the Racing Integrity and Regulation Department.”