MULLINS VET’S INSIDE INFORMATION CHARGE
A VET who works for champion jumps trainer Willie Mullins has been charged with passing on inside information and enabling his brother to ‘cheat at betting’ ahead of Faugheen’s withdrawal from the 2016 Champion Hurdle.
A statement issued by the BHA said Timothy Brennan, a longtime veterinary surgeon for the Mullins stable, is charged with passing information to his brother Michael about an injury sustained by Faugheen which ruled the gelding out of the Champion Hurdle and allowed him to strike lay bets before the news became public.
If found guilty, Timothy Brennan could be banned from the sport for up to 10 years with the BHA expecting authorities in Ireland to reciprocate the ban.
Michael Brennan had already been issued with an indefinite exclusion order by the BHA after refusing to co-operate with the investigation.
The BHA also stressed that Mullins had been absolved of any wrongdoing in the case.
Suspicions about betting patterns surrounding Faugheen’s withdrawal emerged in September 2016 but the length of the investigation has, in part, been influenced by Michael Brennan’s refusal to co-operate.
In early 2016, Faugheen was the defending Champion Hurdler and had just won the Irish Champion Hurdle easily when, on February 17, Mullins announced a seasonending ligament problem that ultimately kept him off the track for 665 days.
But, prior to Mullins’ announcement, Faugheen’s odds on betting exchanges drifted from 1-2 to odds against.
Brant Dunshea, Chief Regulatory Officer for the BHA, said: ‘We cannot comment further on the specifics of the charges against Timothy Brennan as this matter is still to be heard by the independent Disciplinary Panel.’
Timothy Brennan was in the news in November 2017 after he pleaded guilty in Kilkenny District Court to being in possession of unauthorised animal medications. The charges, brought under Animal Remedy Regulations, followed a joint operation by the Department of Agriculture and the Turf Club.