Trainer Ronan McNally will face an Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board sanctions hearing after an investigation into his operation found several charges "proven" concerning horses stabled at his County Armagh yard.
Dreal Deal and The Jam Man, who have proven McNally's flagbearers in recent seasons, are cited in most of the IHRB's alleged charges, with the regulatory body flagging potential integrity issues in terms of how the progressive pair were campaigned.
Dreal Deal and The Jam Man have both been subjects of successful gambles while under the care of McNally.
The IHRB referrals committee concluded McNally was responsible for 10 of 11 rule infractions investigated, either fully or partially.
While not proven as the orchestrator of any gamble, the committee concluded that information had been passed "about the condition and wellbeing of Dreal Deal to allow others to profit from betting on the horse with a betting organisation".
McNally had also "used the racecourse as a training ground and schooled in public with the objective of acquiring a lenient official handicap rating for his horses", according to the committee.
Reacting to the findings, McNally told the PA news agency: "On legal advice I don't want to make too much comment at this stage as there is still another hearing in January to attend. However, I am deeply disappointed and dissatisfied with the findings to date.
"No penalties are finalised yet and I still have the right to appeal the original charges.
"I will almost certainly be appealing the charges. I am very unhappy with the findings."
Another trainer - Meath-based David Dunne - was held to have aided McNally in concealing McNally's ownership of runners then under Dunne's care, namely All Class and Full Noise. Both horses were well-backed winners when trained by Dunne.
Ciaran Fennessy, a trainer in the point-to-point sphere who has links to a number of McNally runners, was deemed to have breached integrity, reputational and inside information rules, with the report stating that his conduct "was prejudicial to the integrity, proper conduct of and good reputation of horseracing in that he passed on inside information regarding the condition of horses to third parties".
Jockey Eoin O'Brien was in breach of four rules relating to his ride on Dreal Deal at Navan on 3 July 2020.
Fellow riders Darragh O'Keeffe and Mark Enright each faced four charges over their rides on the same horse, with one charge proven, which was failing to report slow starts from their mount to stewards. The rest of the charges were not found to have been proved
The IHRB revealed that the referrals committee met from 17-20 October to consider the case.
A date for the issuing of sanctions to those in breach of the charges has yet to be revealed.
