Trainer Emmet Mullins, nephew of Willie Mullins, has been fined €5,000 by the Irish Horse Racing Regulatory Board (IHRB) and has a three month ban after breaching COVID19 protocols, reports racingpost.com.
Mullins entered Leopardstown racetrack after having already being refused access on June 14.
He said on Monday evening, “I accept the findings of today’s hearing. I apologise for my actions, it was done without thought and in the heat of the moment. I won’t be appealing, however, I have made a request to the IHRB that I donate the funds to our frontline workers.”
Mullins was at Leopardstown with Oriental Eagle (Campanologist-Oriental Pearl, by Big Shuffle) who went on to run sixth in the Listed Saval Beg Stakes, but Mullins did not have the appropriate barcode needed to gain access and was told by the health-screening station at the track that he could not enter.
Despite two warnings from security, Mullins went to collect his colour bag from outside the weighing room.
“A lot of work has gone into getting racing back and it is absolutely imperative that we all work together to keep racing safe by completing the health-screening process. This is necessary to continue racing. Complacency in this regard simply cannot be tolerated,” said Niall Cronin, communications manager for the IHRB.
“The referrals committee stated that this was an extremely serious breach and they felt the sanction was appropriate in the circumstances.”
Mullins is allowed to have runners during his oncourse ban.
