Charles Byrnes will have to wait for the verdict of his appeal over a six-month training ban and €1,000 fine after it was heard today.
The trainer was handed the ban last month over the Viking Hoard case, but appealed the decision before the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board.
And at a video conference, chaired by Justice Niall Fennelly, evidence was heard for two hours, but no verdict was delivered.
“The panel will consider their decision and inform the parties involved in due course,” said an IHRB spokesman.
It's unclear when the verdict will be delivered, and it could be several days before the case is resolved.
The Byrnes-trained Viking Hoard was pulled up at Tramore on October 18, 2018, after which a urine sample was found to contain hydroxyethylpromazinehydroxide (HEPS), a metabolite of acepromazine (ACP), which is a sedative and prohibited under the rules of racing.
While awaiting his appeal, Byrnes enjoyed success as JP McManus-owned Off You Go won a valuable handicap chase at the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown on Sunday.
The IHRB Referrals Committee held a hearing via Zoom last month, with the authority informing Byrnes of its decision before issuing a 14-page written judgement to support its conclusions.
However, the trainer confirmed soon after that an appeal had been lodged.
