ON a card that contained some interesting contests, the day’s focus rested on the opening maiden hurdle after which trainer Emmet Mullins was hit with a record €6,000 fine and jockey Brian Hayes was banned for 21 days after the stewards looked into the effort of the fourth-placed The Shunter who was subsequently suspended from racing for 60 days.

After initially dropping in at the rear of the field, The Shunter caught the eye with a strong-finishing effort to be beaten by just over six lengths in fourth which prompted a running and riding enquiry after which the trainer, jockey and the horse fell foul of Rules 212 and 212 A (ii).