Luke Comer

Billionaire Luke Comer lost an appeal against the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board to overturn a three-year-suspension of his training license, the organization confirmed in a statement Thursday. The suspension is scheduled to begin July 15. The three-person appeals body was chaired by Justice Peter Kelly in addition to Laurence McFerran and Dr. Paddy Molony. Suspended last September, the trainer was ordered to pay in excess of €750,000 in fines and legal costs after traces of the prohibited substances methandienone (MD) and methyltestosterone (MT) were found in 12 of his horses....

With the late scratching of Germany's leading marathoner and morning line favourite Lordano (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}), jockey Rene Piechulek made the switch to Gestut Ittlingen's alternate Alessio (Ger) (Teofilo {Ire}--Alandia {Ire}, by Adlerflug {Ger}) and made the most of that ownermate's absence to register a career high in Sunday's G2 Comer Group International 53rd Oleander-Rennen at Hoppegarten. Alessio, who ran sixth in 2022's G1 Deutsches Derby, notched a first pattern-race win in October's G3 The Land Trophy at Baden-Baden and brought the curtain down on 2023 with a runner-up finish...

Trainer Luke Comer has had his licence suspended for three years over positive drugs tests and ordered to pay over €750,000 in costs by the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB). The billionaire owner-trainer, who is also a major sponsor of Irish racing under the Comer Group banner, has seven days to lodge an appeal.  The suspension will begin on January 1, 2024, and is the result of a long-running investigation carried out by the IHRB, with the regulator describing the case as "unprecedented".  As well as being ordered to pay...

He Knows No Fear (Ire) (Mourayan {Ire}) became the longest-priced winner in Irish racing history when winning a Leopardstown maiden on Thursday at 300-1. The previous mark was established in 2017 by Killahara Castle (Ire) (Vertical Speed {Fr}), a 200-1 winner. He Knows No Fear was bred and is owned and trained by Luke Comer-who also owns the sire--and was ridden on Thursday by Chris Hayes. The 3-year-old colt was making his second start after beating two of 14 home in a Limerick maiden on July 17 after missing the...