Irish Cup winner Cavendish stripped of title

Irish Cup winner Jeru Cavendish, under the guardianship of John O’Donoghue, Co. Clare and trained by John Browne, Co. Clare, has been sensationally disqualified almost four months after the event was staged at Patrickswell, Co Limerick.

Although the rumour mill has been buzzing with speculation for some weeks, the news finally came to light yesterday when the ICC announced that tests from the National Greyhound Laboratory revealed the winner of the blue riband event had tested positive for the banned substances, Ephedrine and Phenylpropanolamine.

A meeting of the Hearing Committee, appointed by the ICC Executive Committee, found connections in breach of rule 88 and ordered the forfeiture of the €80,000 prize money and trophies.

The trainer was also cautioned as to future observance of ICC rules.

Beaten finalist Killimor Matey, trained by Jerry Holian and owned by Michael Ryan, Johnstown, Co Kilkenny, has been officially declared the Irish Cup winner and the record amended so that each greyhound beaten by Jeru Cavendish is promoted by one round and prize money awarded based on revised round positions.

In further fallout from the testing procedures, two greyhounds who competed at the National Meeting in Clonmel on February 1, were also found in breach of Rule 88.

Derby semi-finalist India Rio, owned by the Strictly Private Syndicate c/o John Murphy and trained by John Murphy, Co. Cork, was found to have the banned substance Modafinil in his system and has been retrospectively disqualified.

Connections must surrender the prize money of €3,500 and the trainer also cautioned as to future observance of ICC Rules.

The knock-on effect means each greyhound beaten by India Rio is promoted by one round and the prize money revised accordingly.

Champion Stakes quarter-finalist Dresden Call, owned by Josephine McCarthy, Dublin and trained by John Kelliher, Co. Kerry, was found to have Ephedrine in his system and was duly disqualified.

Connections forfeit the prize money of €1,500 and the trainer also cautioned as to future observance of ICC Rules.

As in the other cases, each greyhound beaten by Dresden Call is promoted by one round and prize money again adjusted accordingly.

There were no appeals against any of the decisions and ICC CEO/secretary DJ Histon explained that in all three cases no further penalties were imposed as the committee took into account the ‘open manner’ in which the parties presented their cases.

Histon was also emphatic that the ICC will remain vigilant, warning: “The Rules of the ICC apply to everyone and must be enforced evenly to ensure a fair platform for all participants and when the rules are infringed appropriate sanctions must apply. This is the minimum standard on which any sport must operate”.

* The outcome of the investigation concerning the winner of the 2006 Irish Cup, Boavista, has not been concluded as it is the subject to protracted legal proceedings.