Luke Comer doping case has all the plot twists of a blockbuster Horse racing has been struggling to maintain its share of voice compared to other sports in recent years and all attempts to replicate the successes of documentaries like Drive To Survive have so far failed to hit the mark. That could all be about to change if there is even a modicum of truth in some of the revelations revealed by Jim Gorman in his High Court submissions last week. Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney+ would be clamouring for the rights to a documentary series based on the goings on at Luke Comer's Kilternan training stables. Explosive allegations emerge According to Gorman his former employer, Luke Comer, had attempted to bribe him to take the rap for the 12 horses that tested positive for anabolic steroids at the yard in 2021. That case eventually resulted in large fines for Comer and a three year suspension of his trainer's licence. He is currently approaching the halfway point of that suspension. And if that wasn't juicy enough, Gorman went on to claim that Comer believes that the doping of the horses was a conspiracy orchestrated by Coolmore Stud. A billionaire vs billionaire feud involving drugs and secret cash payments would make hit documentaries like Tiger King look altogether tame and could turn horse racing into the hottest ticket around. A billionaire vs billionaire feud involving drugs and secret cash payments would make hit documentaries like Tiger King look altogether tame. Jim Gorman, a trainer in his own right, spent six years as assistant to Luke Comer before being let go last year and is seeking information about defamatory claims made against him. Article highlights: Luke Comer allegedly asked his former assistant to "take the rap" for 12 horses testing positive for steroids Comer claims Coolmore Stud orchestrated the doping of his horses as part of a conspiracy Jim Gorman alleges he was offered a bribe to take blame for the doping scandal Coolmore Stud strongly denies any involvement in the matter Legal battle intensifies Gorman wants Comer to disclose the identity of a senior figure within the Coolmore organisation who it is alleged by Comer has indicated that Gorman received substantial sums of money from Coolmore in return for the doping of Comer's horses. Gorman, who denies any involvement in the doping of the horses, states that the details of this alleged conspiracy were conveyed to him in a letter from solicitors acting on behalf of Comer in September. The letter alleges that a senior executive in Coolmore Stud's operation had stated that Gorman received four separate cash payments at his Maddenstown Stud on the Curragh and that this money was given to him as an inducement to administer banned drugs to Comer's horses. Conflicting accounts This letter also references a conversation between Gorman and Comer that took place in October 2024, but the two men have conflicting versions of what took place during that meeting. Comer's solicitors state that during this meeting Comer put his suspicions to Gorman that he was the person responsible for the 12 horses testing positive for anabolic steroids. Gorman on the other hand claims that this meeting centered around Comer trying to persuade him to "take the rap" for the horses testing positive for steroids and that during the meeting Comer had tried "to bribe me such that he could seek to cynically exonerate himself." Unsurprisingly, Coolmore Stud rejects in the strongest possible terms the allegations linking them to a supposed plot to administer drugs to the Comer horses and solicitors representing the interests of Coolmore have furnished a letter to the court stating this. High-profile communication The Coolmore letter also mentions that in April and June this year there were telephone conversations between Luke Comer and John Magnier about the matter and Comer was told "in no uncertain terms that Coolmore would never have any involvement in such an activity" and that if he had "evidence to support these allegations he should report it to An Garda Siochána." The aftermath continues Regardless of where the truth lies in all of this, it does certainly appear that the 12 horses testing positive for anabolic steroids in 2021 continues to weigh heavy on both Luke Comer and his former assistant Jim Gorman. Comer spent millions defending the original case by trying to prove that the positive samples were as a result of a batch of contaminated feed and that himself and all his staff were innocent of any wrongdoing. When that defence failed, because it was not deemed a plausible explanation, he appealed the decision of the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board's Referral Committee, but ultimately as the licensed trainer he was found responsible for the serious breaches of the rules as there was no conclusive evidence to the contrary. Now, four years after the original positive findings first came to light, both men are still dealing with the aftermath. Their relationship has clearly broken down with each making damning allegations about the other and with Coolmore Stud getting thrown into the mix this saga looks set to rumble on for some time to come.
