"I can promise you and anyone else that I never
lied to Barry Irwin," Mr McLaughlin said this week. "And I don't
appreciate that comment for our whole industry".
Some commentators
suggested Mr Irwin was talking about Todd Pletcher, a trainer who
worked for him until late last year, before they parted company. Mr
Irwin denies this.
Mr Pletcher tried to defuse the controversy.
"Everyone has been in a situation where they've been very excited after
winning a big race," he told Daily Racing Forum, "and said something
taken out of context".
However Mike Repole, Mr Pletcher's new boss, described the comments as "very, very inappropriate".
Mr
Irwin yesterday told The Daily Telegraph that he had hired a bouncer to
provide extra protection at the Fair Hill home of the prize colt, the
son of a Brazilian stallion and a German mare.
"It's an additional
presence to take care of the hours between day security and
nightwatchman," Mr Irwin said. "He's an ex-military man and I'm
confident he can keep an eye on things.
"I'm just trying to be
cautious because my trainer and I have been very vocal about medication
use. We are prime targets if anyone is minded to do something.
"At the barn it's out in the open, it's not like being at the racetrack," he said. "It behoves us to do something about it."
Mr
Irwin declined to discuss whether any specific threats had been made
against him or Animal Kingdom. "People hear the horse is here, and they
come and take a look," he said.
Valor claims to have a
"zero-tolerance" policy on medication, and steers clear of steroids used
to mask injuries to horses, which are legal in many parts of the US.
Yet
before the Derby even Animal Kingdom was given Lasix, a diuretic that
prevents lung-bleeding. Lasix is banned in most countries but given to
95 per cent of all horses starting races in the US.
Last month two
congressmen unveiled a bill to ban Lasix, steroids and other drugs, and
to impose stiff punishments on trainers who use them. Mr Motion has
said a ban "wouldn't affect us in the slightest".
