Trainer will lose his licence from 15 May to 14 August after horse tested positive for lidocaine on raceday
The leading Irish trainer Tony Martin, who has saddled seven winners at the Cheltenham Festival, will lose his licence for three months from 15 May after the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) successfully appealed against a suspended penalty on the grounds of undue leniency.
Martin was originally handed a six-month suspension, suspended for two years, in December after his Flat handicapper Firstman had tested positive for lidocaine, a local anaesthetic which is banned on racedays, after winning a race at Dundalk in January 2023. Martin was also fined €10,000 (£8,500), and lodged an appeal against the severity of the penalty.
