Top NZ Owner Trainer Escapes Procaine Positive With Fine
On the back of two recent Australian Stewards Inquiries in to Positive Swabs to procaine, one of New Zealand's best-known owners and administrators, Thayne Green, has escaped being fined or suspended after one of his greyhounds returned a positive drug test.
New Zealand Racing Board member Green, who co-owned champion galloper Sunline, faced a charge of presenting a greyhound to race with a drug, procaine, in its system.
The charges stemmed from a positive swab returned by his winner What Shiraz, when the dog scored on debut at Manawatu last September 1.
What Shiraz, 6-5 in the betting, scored by five lengths for the Green and Smiths syndicate, of which Green is a part.
Green, who trains the greyhound, denied the intentional administration of any product that he knew contained procaine.
No animal remedies containing procaine were found at his Papakura property.
Green suggested the only way What Shiraz could have got procaine in its system was through eating meat that had been treated with procaine penicillin prior to slaughter.
Meat for his greyhounds was bought monthly from Bombay's Jimbos Pet Foods, who confirmed no stock was slaughtered on the property.
Boned-out meat was obtained from a number of sources and they relied on the integrity of the farmer supplying the beast to correctly record it had not been treated with any drug.
Racecourse inspector Rod Carmichael said while it could not be proven Green was responsible for the administration of procaine, there was an element of negligence on the trainer's part for allowing the drug to enter the dog's system.
Under the strict liability nature of the rule, Green was still responsible.
The committee chose not to fine, suspend or disqualify Green, ordering him to pay $400 in costs.
What Shiraz was disqualified from the race, forfeiting the $600 stake.
Courtesy : Barry Lichter, Sunday Star Times