A winner at Galway Races on Tuesday evening was disqualified when it was discovered the wrong horse had been allowed to race due to an identity mix-up.

Newcomer Alizarine appeared to run out a cosy winner of the two-year-old fillies' maiden, producing a fine burst of acceleration to see off 5/4 favourite Twinkle by a length and three-quarters in second.

However, around 25 minutes after the race, an objection was lodged into the identity of Alizarine. A post-race reading of the horse's microchip, which is embedded in every racehorse's neck shortly after birth, revealed the horse was in fact the three-year-old Aurora Princess.

Both horses are trained by Jessica Harrington and had been mixed up by stable staff on the day.

The stewards eventually awarding the race to Twinkle, the 5/4 favourite.

The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board tweeted: “Alizarine has been disqualified under Rule 262(iv)c as horse could not be positively identified post race.”

FULL STEWARDS' ENQUIRY REPORT

207B COLM QUINN BMW Irish EBF (Fillies) M'dn

Following the running of this race, the Stewards met to consider an objection by the IHRB Veterinary Officer Ms Nicola O'Connor under Rule 262(iv)(c) into the identity of the winner Alizarine (GB), trained by Mrs John Harrington.

Ms O'Connor stated that the winner's microchip number was read by Brendan Daly, IHRB Security Officer, before the animal departed the winners enclosure. She was informed by Mr Daly that he was unable to establish the identity of the animal based on the reading on his scanner. Ms O'Connor subsequently carried out an identity check on the filly presented to the sampling unit as Alizarine (GB) and found that the microchip number on her e-scanner did not correspond to that of Alizarine (GB).

Ms O'Connor identified the microchip number as being that of Aurora Princess, a runner in the fifth race, also trained by Mrs John Harrington.

Ms O'Connor confirmed that all runners today were identified with an e-scanner on their arrival at the racecourse. She confirmed that Alizarine (GB) was identified in her stable when this error was established and had not run in the second race.

Ms O'Connor informed the Stewards that the identity of both horses were confirmed in the presence of Mr Niall Amond, head travelling man and Authorised representative for the trainer.

In her evidence, Mrs John Harrington accepted the full facts as given by the IHRB Veterinary Officer and informed the Stewards that Mr Amond had acted in her absence as she had only arrived in the parade ring prior to this race.

She accepted full responsibility for the error and advised the Stewards that both Alizarine (GB) and Aurora Princess were bay fillies with very similar markings. Having considered all the evidence, the Stewards upheld the objection.

As the horse Alizarine (GB) did not run in this race, that horse was deemed to be unplaced under Rule 266 and the horse purported to be Alizarine (GB) was disqualified.

The amended result now reads;

First; Twinkle

Second; Radiyka

Third; Past Time (GB)

Fourth; Buenaventura

Fifth; Elizabeth's Pride

Sixth; Cheeky Peek

The Stewards referred the matter to the CEO of the IHRB for further consideration.

MORE ON THIS STORY IN THE IRISH FIELD NEXT WEEKEND