Wrong JP McManus horses run at Punchestown and it's far from the first time it has happened

Dont Tell Jack had been due to contest the novice chase (replay below), the second race on the card, and was sent off at 4/1, having opened at 15/8, but finished a well held seventh.

Stablemate Centreofattention was then prepared for the maiden hurdle - race five - but when he was scanned by the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board it transpired that the horse in question was Dont Tell Jack and that Centreofattention had mistakenly run in the novice chase.

The matter was referred for further investigation by the raceday stewards with no action taken on the day.

It is by no means the first time such a mistake has occurred.....

O'Brien fillies in the Mother of all mix ups

In 2020 Mother Earth and Snowfall both ran for Aidan O'Brien in the Fillies' Mile at Newmarket. So far so good. Until it turned out that they had been saddled incorrectly meaning that not only did they carry the wrong saddle cloths, they also carried the wrong jockeys.

Mother Earth and Snowfall had been scanned and identified prior to heading into the pre-parade ring only for the stable representative to mix them up when saddling.

O'Brien told the panel at the enquiry: "If you said it to me, I thought it would have been a million to one shot but things do happen and that's the way it is.

"Obviously everything was a little bit of a mess with the pandemic and logistically it was very difficult to have runners in England at all, so we had to leave our team of people over there and they were just taking over the horses as they were getting off the plane.

"It was something that happened that we could never expect or believe could happen, and the changes we've made since then is that the lads will all travel with a scanner now and every horse will be scanned as they get off the plane by our crew that are in England."

McBride seals it with a Kiss

In 2017 at Yarmouth there was a shock when 4/6 favourite Fyre Cay was beaten a neck in a six furlong novice auction for juveniles by the 50/1 chance Mandarin Princess, trained by Charlie McBride.

However, when Mandarin Princess was taken for a routine sample and scan by the veterinary officer it was discovered that she was, in fact, her three-year-old stablemate Millie's Kiss who had been due to run in the fourth race on the card.

McBride said in explanation: "I waiting for the saddle at 1pm in the weighing room. John [Egan] weighed in 1 lb over and was in the sauna, and that was why we were late trying to get the saddle. We put the saddle on in two minutes flat without even thinking it was the wrong horse.

"She looked sound and then we went straight to the parade ring, where I had 10 or 12 of her owners chatting away to me in the parade ring. I never even watched the filly go round and then watched her canter away.

"When she won, everyone was euphoric and were hugging and kissing and chatting away to me. Even her owners, who see her every week, didn't even notice it was the wrong horse and were patting the filly in the winner's enclosure.

"When you're in a mad rush like that, you go on auto-pilot - you go through the motions.

"There is obviously no excuse for not recognising it was the wrong horse. I know them both inside out and have ridden both horses. I expect I will get fined, but it was a human error - as simple as that."

Furtado up Scribner Creek

Six months on from Yarmouth, another remarkable mix-up happened at Southwell in January when two five-year-old geldings trained by Ivan Furtado contested the wrong races, a mistake that was only discovered the following day.

Scribner Creek and African Trader had only recently joined Furtado and had been mixed up shortly after arriving at the yard. Both horses made their stable debut on the same card - finishing third and seventh - but their true identities remained undetected despite both horses being scanned by the BHA officers on duty.

However, one of the pair was randomly selected for dope testing with the analysis being tested at the BHA offices the following day and it was only then that the case of mistaken identity came to light.

BHA disciplinary panel chairman James O'Mahoney said: "We're aware others have made mistakes along the line as well but we consider the ultimate responsibility for the true identification of a horse to run in a race under rules lies with the trainer.

"Yes there were human errors, but consideration must be given to what the public, betting public, racing public, consider in respect of this and how it may affect the integrity and reputation of this sport.

"Bluntly, the right horses have got to run in the right races."

Hu-Manna error at Killarney

In September 2023 Ano Manna was disqualified from a handicap at Killarney after it was discovered that the horse was not Ano Manna at all.

Johnny Feane had entered Ano Manna for the third race and the horse carrying her owner’s silks duly won with ease as the 7/2 favourite.

However, an objection was lodged by the stewards under Rule 262, which relates to a horse’s identity coming into question.

An inquiry established the ‘winner’ was in fact Feane’s other runner at the meeting, Indigo Five, who had been incorrectly saddled.

“It’s human error,” said Feane. “These things happen.

"I was unfortunately delayed getting to the races, working hard as usual, and the wrong horse raced. I’ve apologised to the owners already and it’s costing everyone money here today.

“I fancied both horses. It certainly cost Ray [owner of Indigo Five] and Ano Manna’s owner James Stanley, who is an important owner, as are all my owners.

“The wrong horse was tacked up, I arrived 10 minutes late. I noticed immediately down at the stable yard that it was the wrong horse. It is just an unfortunate series of events.”

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