Horse racing trainer Mohamed Ramadan has been slapped with a six-year ban after two horses in his care were found in an ‘unacceptable condition’.
It comes after his stable received ten charges last month following an unannounced visit to his stable by the Emirates Racing Authority [ERA].
The UAE-based trainer, who accrued 36 wins by the end of last season, pleaded guilty to all charges.
The six-year ban means he won’t be able to return to racing until 2030, while Ramadan was also handed a £1,000 fine.
‘Announcing the ban, the ERA said: ‘They [the stewards] noted that racing relies on horses as its most integral component, and it is unacceptable for them to be treated in a manner that violates both the ERA Rules and community expectations.
‘The Stewards also underscored the need for the penalty to serve as both a general and specific deterrent, ensuring the integrity and reputation of racing in the UAE are upheld for the future.’
Two of the horses – Mutamaasik and Shmsan – were the main focus of the report, with the ERA finding both in a ‘very bad state’.
Mutamaasik, pictured above racing at Doncaster, was found with severe blisters and lesions but had not been given adequate access to pain relief. The horse had also been placed with a wooden cradle around his neck to stop him from biting them.
Dr David Craig, the ERA’s head of Equine Health and Welfare, noted in his report that he had ‘never seen a blister applied with this level of ferocity that it had been to Mutamaasik’.
Shmshan, meanwhile, was said to have been found emaciated, requiring anti-inflammatories and needing to be fed. The horse also had a severe infection in its right hind, causing pus to leak out of the wound, which Ramadan claimed occurred after the horse kicked out during a colic episode.
The horse was later muzzled to prevent itself from eating its own faeces but Dr Craig suggested that such behaviour was instead ‘likely a desperate attempt to obtain essential nutrients.’
Both horses were taken immediately away for urgent medical treatment, with Ramadan also charged for improper medical records as well as having banned and unregistered products in his medical cabinet.
Ramadan claimed to have given them medication but subsequent blood tests found no medication in their systems. He also said he had taken a two-month absence from the stable and left his horses with an unlicensed staff member during this period.
However, the panel deemed his testimony to be ‘inconsistent and difficult to follow’ before handing down the lengthy ban.
.
.