The high profile businessman Luke Comer has been ordered by the Turf Club to pay almost €50,000 in fines and costs but can continue to train racehorses from his base in Kilternan in Co. Dublin.
On Friday, racing’s regulatory body published a list of sanctions in relation to long running issues with the management of the billionaire property developer’s establishment in Kilternan.
In April Comer was fined €10,000 and ordered to pay €4,000 in costs after Turf Club officials were refused access to the training yard. He was also handed a six month suspended sentence of his licence. In May he was fined €2,500 for failing to arrange adequate supervision of his horses.
Comer spends a lot of time outside of Ireland and Curragh based trainer Jim Gorman was employed during the summer to help improve operations at the yard.
In July Comer was also found guilty by the Turf Club in relation to a number of other infringements, including his medicines register not being order.
The following month his representatives, Luke Comer Jnr and head lad, Derek Kelly, were deemed to have provided “misleading and false information” in relation to the whereabouts of three horses.
On Friday, details were released of a Referrals Committee hearing earlier this week which fined Comer €15,000 in respect of the provision of false and misleading information.
Another fine of €12,500 was imposed for shortcomings in management structures. The businessman has also been ordered to pay €22,588 in Turf Club costs.
The Referrals Committee noted there had been “considerable improvements to operations” at Comer’s yard since July.
