JOHN Byrne has succeeded Martin O’Donnell as Senior Steward and chairman of the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board.

An owner-breeder, Byrne became a member of the Turf Club in 2008 and of the INHSC in 2013. He has served on the Curragh Committee and in 2014 became a Steward of the Turf Club. During this time he served on the board of Irish Thoroughbred Marketing and he was chairman of the project board for the Curragh redevelopment.

Jill Farrell has been appointed vice-chair of the IHRB.

The IHRB is still awaiting delivery of the report from consultants Mazars into the financial matter “of grave concern” discovered in the company’s accounts last July. IHRB chief executive told an Oirachtas committee last December he had hoped the report would be published within a matter of weeks.

An IHRB spokesperson told The Irish Field this week: “The IHRB has engaged fully with Mazars in relation to the review commissioned by the Board. This review involved a thorough examination of six years’ worth of financial and other records and interviews with relevant individuals, all of which is now complete. We have yet to be furnished with a copy of the report by Mazars but as soon as we receive it the report will be presented to our Board for consideration and, at the same time, to Horse Racing Ireland. As previously stated, the IHRB will publish the findings and any recommendations will be acted upon.”