Tony Martin refused stay over anti-doping suspension

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Tony Martin’s request to pause his three-month suspension for an alleged anti-doping breach was refused at the High Court on 16 May 2024. The suspension arose from a horse racing case involving Firstman, which tested positive for lidocaine after winning at Dundalk in January 2023.

Mr Justice Rory Mulcahy rejected Martin’s claim that the appeals panel hearing was unlawful because the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board used a UK barrister. The judge also refused permission to pursue judicial review of the suspension and awarded the IHRB its legal costs.

The suspension took immediate effect after the judge declined both a stay pending proceedings and a shorter pause while Martin considered an appeal. The three-month suspension followed an appeal against the original penalty, which had included an €11,000 fine and a six-month licence suspension suspended for two years.