Second horse trainer faces charges for banned substance possession

A second top Irish horse trainer faces charges over the possession of banned substances.

Co Carlow trainer Pat Hughes is due in court in May after substances were found at his stable.

Charges have been brought by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine, over the possession of prohibited substances, including anabolic steroids.

The news came to light two days after it was revealed that Philip Fenton, who trains Ireland’s leading Cheltenham Gold Cup candidate, Last Instalment, was expected to appear in court in Carrick-On-Suir, Co Tipperary, today charged with possession of anabolic steroids.

The expectation however, is that the case will be adjourned until after the Cheltenham festival next month.

Hughes is said to have appeared in Carlow District Court on February 13 on eight charges of possession of banned animal remedies, including the anabolic steroid Stanozol.

The case was adjourned until May 8.

The Telegraph reported Hughes as saying: “They have nothing to go on, I don’t know whether they’ve called it off completely or not.”

Denis Egan, the chief executive of the Turf Club, said: “We are aware that Pat Hughes has appeared in court, it is on our radar.”

Hughes was once regarded as one of the shrewdest trainers in Ireland and has put many decent horses through his hands.

In 1985 he won the then SunAlliance Novice Chase at Cheltenham with Antarctic Bay and a couple of months later his Time Machine landed some big wagers when taking the Wokingham Handicap at Royal Ascot.

Hughes has also won the Irish National on two occasions, with Insure and Point Barrow, but has seen his fortunes deteriorate somewhat in latter years.