PADDY BURKE, the trainer of Mister Munnelly, who was backed down to favourite when winning the EBF Qualifier Handicap at Leopardstown on July 20th, was fined £5,000 when appearing before the appeals and referrals committee of the Turf Club yesterday.
The committee also ruled that Burke should make a contribution of £1,000 towards the legal costs of the Turf Club; and using their powers under rule 87 (x), suspended Mister Munnelly from running in any race for 60 days from August 13th.
The inquiry was into the apparent improvement in form of Mister Munnelly at Leopardstown compared to his three previous runs - at the Curragh on June 8th, Gowran on May 4th and the Curragh on April 27th.
Evidence was heard from Burke; Peter Matthews, stewards secretary; Ciaran Kennelly, senior Rules of Racing handicapper; John Lonergan, who rode the horse on April 27th and May 4th; and AJ Nolan, who was the jockey on June 8th. The committee also considered on-course betting statistics on the Leopardstown race.
Having considered all the evidence, the committee decided that Mister Munnelly had shown significant improvement in form compared to his three previous runs and therefore found Burke to be in breach of Rules 212, which states: "Every horse which runs in a race shall be run on it merits whether its owner runs another in the race or not."
The case of behalf of the Turf Club was presented by Brian Price of Wilkinson and Price, solicitors. Burke was represented by Andrew Coonan of Charles E Coonan, solicitors.
Meanwhile, Paddy Mullins and his stable jockey Tom Treacy could be the partnership to follow at Wexford this evening when they may record a double with the gelding, No News, and his half sister, No Dunce.
No News has been out of action since finishing seventh of 24 to Mulkev Prince at Fairyhouse in February, having made a mistake two out. That was a useful effort and with the recent ease in the ground, the five-year-old should repay support in the Nick O'Donnell Memorial Maiden Hurdle.
No Dunce was hampered when third to Digadust at Galway and should again account for the fourth horse, Difficult Times. Another with prospects here is Star Club, who got within three-quarters of a length of Digadust over this evening's course and distance.
Like the other maiden hurdle on the card, the Nickey Rackard Maiden Hurdle is named after another of Wexford's greatest hurlers. Jim Bolger, who is a keen supporter of his county team, runs Da Silva, a close-up sixth in a Galway Flat handicap under a big weight and this four-year-old could easily make a winning start to his hurdling career.
A course and distance winner here in July when just getting the better of Back For Good, Queens Music receives weight from two other recent winners, Maid To Move and Three Rivers, in the Datapac Handicap
Trainer Bill Mott reports Cigar in good shape physically although a little down mentally after his shock defeat in the Grade One Pacific Classic at Del Mar on Saturday.
Dushyantor will seek to redeem his reputation at Newbury on Saturday or York next week. The Epsom Dety runner-up and Curragh failure is engaged in Newbury's Geoffrey Freer Stakes at the weekend. But connections have the option of switching to Wednesday's Great Voltigeur Stakes.
