‘Shark’ Hanlon’s racing licence suspended over video of dead horse in open trailer

John “Shark” Hanlon, who saddled Hewick to record a memorable success in the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day, has had his licence suspended for 10 months by the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board after an incident in June when a dead horse was transported “over a significant distance on the public roads” and was “completely uncovered and fully visible to members of the public”.

Videos of the carcass on an open trailer behind a horsebox with Hanlon’s distinctive #TeamHewick branding circulated on social media. The IHRB’s referrals committee said in its finding on the case on Thursday that the incident had caused “significant prejudice to the integrity, proper conduct and good reputation of the sport of horse racing”.

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At a hearing last week, the Committee was told that while Hanlon had made “some attempts … to conceal the carcass by covering it with a tarpaulin”, these had “completely failed by the time the box and trailer combination reached Paulstown, County Kilkenny at around 5pm” on 14 June.

The driver of a car behind the trailer “commented adversely on the actions of Mr Hanlon, readily identifying him by means of the illustrations on the horsebox. He recorded the images on his phone, and these were subsequently circulated to a wide audience on social media. The adverse publicity then spread to the conventional media.”

The committee also heard that the horse had been found dead in its paddock that morning and it said “there was ample time to prepare a careful plan for the delicate operation” of transporting its body to a licensed disposal facility.

Hanlon subsequently apologised for “any distress” that had been caused to members of the public.

The timing of the incident was acutely embarrassing for Irish racing as it occurred two days after the broadcast of an RTÉ investigation entitled “Horses – Making A Killing”, which focused on “what happens to horses after they leave the spotlight”.

The committee’s finding notes that while the programme “concerned a much broader Irish and European context concerning live animals”, it also “touched on issues relating to Irish racing and mentioned Mr Hanlon and other Irish trainers”. As a result, the trainer “was undoubtedly as aware as anyone of the heightened public sensitivity to equine welfare issues” and “this ought to have informed his actions on the day”.

Hanlon has been a licensed trainer since 2006 and is one of the best-known trainers in Ireland after his success with Hewick, who was bought for €800. He also featured prominently in the opening episode of ITV1’s fly-on-the-wall documentary Champions: Full Gallop, which focused on the chaser’s victory in the highlight of Britain’s Christmas programme at Kempton.

Haydock 1.25 Papagei 2.00 Secret Mistral 2.35 Stormy Impact 3.10 Shining River 3.45 Knight Templar 4.20 Tanmawwy 4.55 Kristal Klear

Bangor-On-Dee 1.35 Jumping Susie 2.10 Hawaii Du Mestival 2.45 Jumping Jupiter 3.20 Riskintheground 3.55 Restandbethankful 4.30 Clararose 5.05 Got Grey 5.35 Cotoneaster

Ascot 1.50 Shaladar 2.25 Isambard Brunel 3.00 Ballet Slippers 3.35 Diego Ventura 4.10 Pearle D’Or 4.45 Bennetot (nb) 5.20 Pedro Valentino

Kempton 5.55 Vecu 6.30 Monomyth 7.00 Green Storm 7.30 She’s A Warrior 8.00 Screaming Eagle 8.30 The Glen Rovers (nap) 9.00 Beyond Equal

A subsequent, unannounced inspection of Hanlon’s yard “revealed that his live charges were properly treated and that all welfare and other matters were in order”.

Hanlon will be able to apply for a suspension of the final five months of his ban in four months’ time. However, after a recent high-profile case when the banned trainer Tony Martin was seen celebrating a win for one of his former horses in the Northumberland Plate, Hanlon’s application will be subject to a number of conditions. These include that he does not “knowingly participate in training-related activities or gallops” or “issue instructions to any jockey or other trainer as to the training or riding of any horse”.