One of South Australia’s top trainers, Garret Lynch, will be facing a 3-and-a-half-month suspension following the conclusion of a Racing Appeals Tribunal hearing.
Currently ranked second on the SA Trainers’ Premiership with an impressive 45 wins for the season, Lynch had appealed against his original nine-month disqualification, which was partially successful.
Nonetheless, he must still relinquish his license until early November due to charges related to his mishandling of a lame horse named Up The Stairs during a race.
The investigation into Lynch’s actions began at Murray Bridge on January 26, when Up The Stairs was scratched from a race after being deemed noticeably lame (3/5) by veterinarians upon arrival.
During the hearing, Lynch admitted that the horse had displayed recurring signs of swelling and lameness in its near foreleg since arriving at his stable in November 2022.
Although Lynch attempted some pain relief measures, the Tribunal concluded that these efforts were insufficient to adequately address the horse’s pain, and better veterinary consultation and intervention should have been sought.
Despite being considered a “victim of circumstance,” as he believed he had administered appropriate pain management and faced pressure from the horse’s owner to race Up The Stairs, Lynch’s clean integrity record did not exempt him from the concurrent disqualifications imposed from June 26 to November 7.
