A JP McManus-owned horse was caught up in a case of mistaken identity at Kilbeggan races on Friday evening.
Instead of a horse running for his first time over hurdles, it was found out that Grove Island was actually Plinth, an 11-year-old veteran over obstacles.
Grove Island, a moderate horse who had run four times on the flat without a victory, was pencilled in for a maiden hurdle at Kilbeggan.
Having run on the flat for Joseph O'Brien, the McManus-owned gelding was supposed to have switched stables two months ago to Shane Broderick.
But in an unfortunate mix up it turned out that the horse who was actually brought to Broderick's stables from McManus' Martinstown Stud was Plinth.
The latter named won a Grade 2 over hurdle back in 2015 but had not run on the track since a poor showing in a handicap hurdle last September.
The case of mistaken identity only came to light when the microchipping process prior to the race showed the real identity of the horse.
Naturally, the horse, who was actually Plinth, had to be withdrawn from the contest and an investigation into the incident will be made.
The Racing Post report that Brian Loughnane, the authorised representative from the Broderick stable, apologised for the incorrect horse showing up to the races and said they should have checked it was the correct horse when he came to their yard from Martinstown Stud.
A similar incident happened in Galway last July when a three-year-old handicapper won a two-year-old maiden. In that case both of the horses were trained by Jessica Harrington, with the microchipping process also revealing the mix-up.
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