Stewards wrap: long list of trainers suspended, fined or banned
Phillip Rowley has been fined by the Victorian Racing Appeals and Disciplinary Board (RADB) after being found guilty of a breach of GAR 83(2)(3). The charge was in relation to the greyhound Loud Lana which returned a positive urine sample to procaine when competing at Traralgon on December 3, 2016.
Rowley pleaded guilty and was issued with a $750 fine, $500 of which was suspended pending no further breaches of GAR 83 within the next 12 months.
Flores cops hefty fine
Anthony Flores has been slapped with a sizeable fine after two breaches of the greyhound racing rules. The first was a breach of GAR 83(2) after his greyhound Willowvale Wings returned a positive urine sample to dexamethasone, a pain relief medication, prior to competing at Warragul on December 1, 2016.
The second rule was for a breach of GAR 84A(1) for failing to keep present treatment records upon request.
Flores was fined $1500 for his breach of GAR 83(2) and $500 for his breach of GAR 84A(1).
Mark Filomeno suspended
Craigieburn trainer Mark Filomeno has been suspended by the RADB after his greyhound Unusable returned a positive urine sample to Dehydronorketamine and 4-Hydroxyxylazine when competing at Shepparton on December 22, 2016.
Filomeno pleaded guilty to the charge and claimed that his use of knackery meat was the likely cause of the positive swab. He was suspended for four months, with two months suspended for 12 months pending no further breaches of GAR 83 during that time.
Suspended sentence for arsenic
Pasquale Derubeis was the recent subject of a RADB inquiry charged with a breach of GAR 83(1A) and GAR 83(2)(3). The first charge related to administering a prohibited substance to his greyhound Smart Tornado prior to it competing at Healesville on December 2, 2016, with the second charge relating to failing to present the greyhound to compete when it was not free of a prohibited substance.
The prohibited substance in question was arsenic above the allowed threshold, with Derubeis pleading guilty and giving evidence that he fed the greyhound seaweed meal daily for the past two years.
Derubeis was suspended for six months, wholly suspended for 12 months pending no further breaches of GAR 83. He was also given a $1000 fine.
Hammerstein suspended
Paul Hammerstein has been found guilty of two charges relating to administering a prohibited substance and presenting a greyhound to race when not free of a prohibited substance. Both charges related to the greyhound Fast Freddie which returned a positive urine sample to the prohibited substances caffeine, theophylline, paraxanthine and theobromine when competing at Geelong on December 2, 2016.
Hammerstein pleaded guilty to the charge and gave evidence that he had given the greyhound an iced coffee to rehydrate it after its previous run and did not think about the consequences racing three days later with caffeine in its system.
Hammerstein was suspended for four months, with the greyhound also disqualified from the event in question.
Morphine and codeine positives
Clifford Smith recently fronted a RADB hearing charged with a breach of the prohibited substances rule. Smith pleaded guilty to the charge which was in relation to the greyhound Scarlet Blu Boy which returned a positive urine sample to morphine and codeine when competing at Ballarat on November 19, 2016.
Smith gave evidence that the swab could have been caused by feeding the greyhound bread containing poppy seeds. Smith was suspended for three months which commenced on June 28, 2017.
Smith's wife Patricia was also charged with a breach of the same rule after her greyhound Thanks Cheryl returned a positive urine sample to the aforementioned substances when competing at Cranbourne on October 19, 2016.
Patricia Smith was handed down a six-month suspension, with the RADB mindful of a prior offence under GAR 83 back in 2013.
McCallum suspended
John McCallum has been suspended for three months after pleading guilty to a breach of GAR 83(2)(3). The charge related to the greyhound Tzar Knight which returned a positive urine sample to sotalol, a beta blocker which ‘slows the heart beat, controls irregular rhythm and would have a negative impact on performance'. The reading was obtained when Tzar Knight competed at the Healesville meeting on December 4, 2016.
Pranjip trainer banned
Raymond Sellars recently plead guilty to three rule breaches, all of which relate to a prohibited substance discovered in a urine sample obtained from one of his greyhounds.
The greyhound Heleray Mootay returned a positive urine sample to 6a-hydroxystanozolol when racing at Shepparton on October 29, 2016, with Sellars subsequently charged with breaches of GAR 83(1), GAR 83(1A) and GAR 83(2)(3).
Sellars admitted to giving the greyhound an injection containing stanozolol in June 2016 to help build its immune system. Due to the nature of the substance being an anabolic steroid, Sellars was slapped with a two-year ban, with 12 months suspended pending no further breaches of GAR 83 in the next three years.
New South Wales
Dean Maniaci has been granted a stay of proceedings in order to appeal a suspension handed down after being found guilty of breaching GAR 86(o) and GAR 86(p). It was alleged that Maniaci had acted with misconduct at the Bulli meeting on April 15.
Shepherd suspended
Greyhound Racing NSW (GRNSW) stewards have suspended trainer Paul Shephard after he entered an early guilty plea to a breach of the prohibited substances rule. During an inquiry, Shephard was charged with breaking GAR 83(2) after his greyhound Rails returned a positive urine sample when competing at Taree on February 18, 2017. The prohibited substance in question was cobalt. Shepherd was handed down a 21-week suspension.
Two trainers face inquiries over water in kennels
The controversial race day hydration policy continues to cause drama in NSW, with two trainers recently facing separate inquiries over their refusal to provide water in the race kennels with their greyhounds.
Carly Absalom was charged with five breaches of LR 86(ag) for failing to provide Celestial Folk with water when presented to race at Wentworth Park between April 1 and June 24, 2017.
At an inquiry on June 28, stewards imposed a 16-week disqualification, wholly suspended provided Absalom complies with the Race Day Hydration and Hot Weather Policy and Greyhound Racing Rules for 12 months.
Neil Staines was also given a suspended sentence, his for eight weeks, for nine breaches of the same policy. Staines had failed to provide water to several of his greyhounds at various meetings between April 4 and May 27.
Staines had since been providing water to his greyhounds after addressing his welfare concerns by using a secondary clip to keep the water bowl fastened in the race kennel.
Barnes suspended
Trainer Leonie Barnes has been given a 21-week suspension by GRNSW stewards after being found guilty of breaching the prohibited substances rule. Barnes' greyhound Chew Star returned a positive urine sample to cobalt above the allowed threshold when competing at Potts Park on September 3, 2016.
Barnes pleaded guilty to a breach of GAR 83(2).
Didler Dupuche
Didler Dupuche has been banned for 15 years for a breach of GAR 95(8)(a). The charge was laid following an investigation into a greyhound in the care of Dupuche which revealed that it had died.
A subsequent joint investigation between GRNSW and the RSPCA saw Dupuche charged under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, which he was found guilty of at the Parramatta Local Court.
It was found that Dupuche had failed to get veterinary care for one of his greyhounds when needed which subsequently exposed it to unnecessary pain and suffering prior to its death.
As such, he was found guilty of breaching the greyhound racing rules and handed down the disqualification sentence.
Dapto fined
The Dapto A & H Greyhound Racing Club was recently fined $1,500 after a GRNSW inquiry found that the club had breached GAR 86(o).
The charge was in relation to the greyhound Topper Swaye competing in the 2016 Dapto Puppy Classic when it was ineligible, which was deemed to be negligent.
Despite pleading not guilty, the Dapto Club was found guilty and issued the fine. Additionally, Topper Swaye was disqualified from the series, with trainer Fran Harris required to repay the combined prizemoney earned from the heat and semi-final.
South Australia
Two SA racing participants have appealed their respective penalties handed down by Greyhound Racing SA (GRSA) stewards through the SA Racing Appeals Tribunal.
The first trainer, Wayne Verrall, was appealing a three-month disqualification imposed for a breach of GAR 86(ah). The charge was in relation to Verrall associating with a banned person and in particular his communication with this person regarding the greyhound ‘Rosco Fields'.
At the appeal hearing, Verrall was represented by Ray Fewings who explained that Verrall's association with the disqualified person was due to a long-time friendship. Further to this, it was added that the disqualified person was a support to Verrall who relied on his participation in greyhound racing and his close friends for his ongoing well-being.
The tribunal found that the three-month disqualification should remain, but suspended one month provided Verrall paid two outstanding fines to GRSA within 14 days and on the basis that he did not re-offend within a two-year period.
The second appeal was by Tracie Price who queried a two-month suspension handed down by GRSA stewards after her greyhound Flying Flutter returned positive urine samples to phenobarbitone when competing at Mount Gambier on January 1 and January 22, 2017.
Upon consideration of the penalty, the tribunal dismissed the appeal.
Queensland
The Queensland Racing Integrity Commission have once again shown they are not playing around regarding participants who don't follow the rules when it comes to breeding.
On June 13, the QRIC concluded an inquiry into the bitch Too Fonic being served by Surf Lorian on December 9, 2016, when she was not a registered broodbitch. Licenced breeder Kevin Macintosh was charged with a breach of GAR 127(6) and was issued a $500 fine after pleading guilty, with $250 suspended for 12 months.
Earlier in the month, the QRIC wrapped up an inquiry into the bitch Beau Jillem which had been bred to Yogi Blue in early November 2016. Licensed trainer Lawrence Topping was charged with a breach of GAR 126 as he was not the holder of a breeders' licence at the time. Topping pleaded guilty and was fined $250.
Finally, two members of the Schmidt Hot Syndicate were also fined by the QRIC for breaches under GAR 86(o) stemming from the mating of Jay Bay Queen to Ballymac Vic and Mercedes Lass to El Grand Senor in September 2016.
Syndicate part owner and licenced breeder Craig Schmidt was charged with a breach of the above rule for submitting the breeding applications for both bitches, which technically should have been completed by the syndicate manager, Scott Dionysius.
Scott Dionysius was charged with being negligent in that he di not ensure that the appropriate breeding applications were submitted in order to comply with the rules.
Both men were fined $200.