Cocaine ban for Robinson
JOCKEY Dylan Robinson has been banned for three years after testing positive for cocaine.
Based with leading Irish trainer Henry de Bromhead, he gained his biggest career success when steering Ornua to a Grade Three victory at Roscommon last October.
He was also on board the same horse when runner-up to Dynamite Dollars in the Grade One Henry VIII Novices’ Chase at Sandown two months later.
A urine sample taken from Robinson at Galway in October was found to contain metabolites of cocaine – a banned substance under the rules of racing.
Robinson accepted he was in breach of the rule, but could not explain why as he “could not remember the events from the night in question” and “did not remember taking any substance”. In arriving at a penalty, the referrals committee said it accepted Robinson’s “great remorse” and it was a “one-off ”.
However, due to the seriousness of the situation and the fact Robinson “compromised the safety of other riders by riding with cocaine in his system”, a three-year suspension was imposed to apply from January 1, 2019 – with Robinson having not ridden since New Year’s Eve. ¬ÊRACING at Dundalk was abandoned after two races last night following a serious medical emergency at the track.
A member of the Turf Club security team was reported to have collapsed in the winner’s enclosure after the second race. The decision was taken to call off the other races.