Breach of Integrity Rules Lands ‘Shark’ Hanlon in Very Hot Water
Irish racehorse trainer John Joseph’ Shark’ Hanlon has been handed a 10-month ban and given a €2,000 fine by the referrals committee of the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board. The punishment follows an incident in which he transported a dead horse on a trailer towed by his horsebox through public streets in plain view.
Trainer John ‘Shark’ Hanlon says he covered a dead horse with tarpaulin before towing it on a trailer through Irish streets. ©Getty
Hanlon had become a darling of racing fans since his stable star, Hewick, became the epitome of a rags-to-riches story. The €850 purchase won 2022s bet365 Gold Cup as an unconsidered 16/1 shot and followed up at the same price in the Galway Plate. Success in the American Grand National, Oaksey Chase and showpiece King George VI Chase followed.
Guilty in the Court of Social Media
Amusing and entertaining social media posts on Shark Hanlon Racing’s social media accounts – including Twitter and TikTok where the trainer could be seen taking Hewick to the pub to celebrate his American Grand National success and the same horse watching the Cheltenham Gold Cup on TV from his stable – increased the trainer’s popularity further.
Take a look at this 🤣
Hewick watches the Gold Cup from his stable #TeamHewick pic.twitter.com/nNcgT0nB1N
— Shark Hanlon Racing (@jhanlonracing) March 15, 2024
However, social media also proved his downfall. And, after a member of the public recorded footage of a dead horse being towed in view of the public, and they posted it on social media – with the images going viral – Irish Horseracing’s Regulatory Board began its enquiries.
At the hearing, Hanlon, a star of ITV’s recently broadcast docuseries ‘Champions: Full Gallop’, claimed attempts had been made to conceal the carcass from public view by covering it with a tarpaulin before it departed from his stables on the trailer. It was not initially reported how the horse had died, but the official report stated it had been “removed from a paddock”.
Conduct and Good Reputation Prejudiced
Announcing the outcome of the enquiry and explaining the reasoning for its decision, the Referrals & Appeals section of the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board’s website stated Hanlon’s actions “caused significant prejudice to the integrity, proper conduct and good reputation of the sport of horseracing.”
“The Committee was satisfied that the prejudice caused by the conduct of Mr Hanlon was compounded by the wide dissemination on various social media platforms of the recording of these events, and the ensuing adverse reaction and commentary.” Item seven of the report stated: “Mr Hanlon’s obfuscation and inconsistency in the accounts given to investigating officials in the immediate aftermath were also factors aggravating culpability.”
It continued: “However, the admissions made on the morning of the hearing meant that it was unnecessary for the Committee to consider these matters in detail or to come to a separate conclusion in terms of a rule breach in respect thereof. However, they could not be ignored entirely and are factored into the final decision of the Committee.”
Bad Timing and Pulling the Rug Over
The Guardian reported: “The timing of the incident was acutely embarrassing for Irish racing as it occurred two days after the broadcast of an RTE investigation entitled ‘Horses – Making A Killing’, which focused on ‘what happens to horses after they leave the spotlight’.”
Following the ruling, Hanlon announced his intention to contest the 10-month ban – of which the final five months are due to be suspended. “There is going to be an appeal put in straight away, that is one thing, and I can’t say too much at this stage as my legal team has advised me not to say too much,” he told the PA News Agency.
Also quoted as saying, “We are very surprised and very disappointed with the results of the hearing,” Hanlon later declared: “We didn’t do anything wrong. We took the horse out of the field – the mare died in her sleep – and the carcass was going over to a licenced yard where she was supposed to go. The rug fell off, and I feel we’ve been very harshly treated.”
