THE Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board [IHRB] has defended its veterinary team and system of pre-race inspections in the wake of criticism from the Irish Racehorse Trainers Association [IRTA].

Two high-profiles cases at the Curragh last Sunday brought the issue into the public domain. The Richard Hughes-trained America Queen was forced out of the Irish 1000 Guineas having failed a pre-race examination while Magny Cours, trained by Danny McLoughlin, was allowed to run but only after three assessments, which connections say contributed to the filly’s poor performance in the race.

Other aspects of the two cases have led the IRTA to declare they have lost confidence in the systems being used by the IHRB veterinary team, and they have called for more transparency around the process so that trainers know what to expect and understand the reasons behind pre-race veterinary decisions. Among their concerns is the IHRB’s use of the mobile phone app Sleip, which measures gait asymmetry from smartphone video.

Feidhlim Cunningham, IRTA chief executive, said: “The outcome of veterinary inspections will look after themselves. Our concern, as the trainers’ representative body, is to give advice to our members on what’s expected. We have tried time and again to get an explanation of the procedure.

“Obviously there will be an element of subjectivity with how a horse’s gait is interpreted by a vet, but there has to be a black-and-white protocol.

“There were clear inconsistencies last Sunday. One trainer [Richard Hughes] brought x-rays with him and yet his filly was not allowed to run. Another trainer [Danny McLoughlin] was allowed to run his filly – after extensive examination – and subsequently told he would need to provide a veterinary certificate prior to the horse being allowed to race again.

“What happened on Sunday would not inspire confidence in the procedure. They say they have made procedural enhancements and that is all well and good, but trainers want to know on what basis are the veterinary decisions being made.

“Was the AI app being used by the vet a contributing factor to the delay in decision making? We have probed the IHRB on how this app is to be used in their decision-making process without getting any clear answers from them.”

Asked for its version of how events unfolded at the Curragh last Sunday, an IHRB spokesperson said: “All horses running at the Curragh last weekend, including Magny Cours, were trotted up on arrival at the racecourse. Magny Cours was first presented at 2.22pm and presented with indications of low-grade lameness during the initial trot up.

“In line with standard procedure, the groom in charge was afforded the opportunity to allow the filly to warm up by walking around the quiet confines of the stable area. Magny Cours was subsequently re examined by IHRB veterinary officers at 2.33pm and again at 2.43pm.

“Across the three assessments, Magny Cours was trotted up for approximately three minutes in total and returned to her stable at 2.47pm. The horse’s gait improved during that process and she was subsequently assessed as suitable to race.”

Regarding the enforced withdrawal of America Queen, the IHRB spokesperson confirmed that its veterinary officers “work closely with British Horseracing Authority [BHA] veterinary officers on an ongoing basis.”

The spokesperson added: “This includes sharing clinical regulatory information regarding individual horses, reciprocal ‘suitability to race’ and ‘horse injury assessment’ follow-up processes, and ongoing discussion regarding pre-race inspection procedures and lameness assessment.

“The IHRB and BHA veterinary teams are in regular contact regarding horses travelling between the two jurisdictions and, in relation to the recent Curragh runners, the BHA was kept informed of the position and follow-up processes.”

Asked if the IHRB was satisfied that the current pre-race examination system was transparent and fair, the spokesperson said: “We remain satisfied of the role played by the suitability-to-race programme in ensuring appropriate welfare-led, evidence-based and consistent decisions are made by its regulatory veterinary officers.”

According to statistics supplied by the IHRB, a total of 25,524 horses were recorded as trotted up under the suitability-to-race programme in 2024 and 2025. From those trot ups, 121 horses (0.5%) were withdrawn due to lameness.

So far this year, a total of 8,243 trot-ups have been recorded and 28 (0.3%) of them have been withdrawn.

Pre-race veterinary examinations were stepped up following the publication of the Equine Injury in Irish Racing Risk Reduction Programme (EIIRRRP) in 2023 by the IHRB.

The programme leverages over a decade of data to identify risk factors and implement targeted safety interventions to reduce fatal injuries in racehorses. Typically, the programme advocates for focussing on horses who have fallen last time out or are returning from long absences.

In 2024 the IHRB expanded the checks for the Galway Hurdle and Plate. Trainers were asked to submit detailed medical records for runners in these races and this scheme was extended in 2025 to include the Kerry National and Irish Champions Festival.

According to the IHRB, its veterinary team takes a “broadly consistent approach” as its BHA counterpart “to the grading and assessment of apparent lameness and suitability to race, increasingly supported by objective gait analysis technologies. The IHRB and BHA also engage regularly regarding pre-race inspection processes and the pre-and-post-race assessment of suitability to race of individual horses competing across the two jurisdictions.”

While it is impractical for trainers to appeal veterinary decisions on racedays, due to time constraints, the IHRB says that trainers have the option to “bring matters before the stewards on the day” as the raceday stewards have extensive powers under the Rules of Racing to adjudicate on all matters relating to the conduct of the race meeting, including the participation and withdrawal of horses.

The spokesman added: “The IHRB veterinary team will also engage with the trainer and, where relevant, the horse’s own veterinary surgeon in order to understand any relevant clinical history, imaging, veterinary certification or supporting information before a final decision is reached.

“The objective is to make the fairest and most informed decision possible on the day, while maintaining the welfare and safety of the horse and rider as the overriding consideration.”