Del Vigor Gets One Month Disqualification For NSAID

Victorian greyhound trainer has today been handed a one month disqualification for present her greyhound to race under the influence of a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID).

According to GRV , Lord Brett's urine sample showed the presence of . Ketoprofen is a less commonly used NSAID that is used for the short-term pain management as well as onger-term management of chronic pain particularly due to osteoarthritis.

Ketoprofen's analgesic properties work within an hour or two of and and it has a reccomended witholdgin period of 48-72 hours prior to racing. Ketoprofen's only performance enhancing properties are its ability to mask the pain of injury or arthritis.

GRV Stewards and B Smith today conducted the on to that positive swab finding from Lord Brett at the Wangaratta Greyhound Racing Club meeting on the 24th April 2009.

On the day in question Lord Brett win a grade 5 650m race by 3.75 lengths in 38.24, paying a whopping $22.50. It was only Lord Bretts second win in twenty starts and his first placing in thirtenn previous runs. In four subsequent runs Lord Brett has managed just the one third.

GRV Stewards heard evidence from licensed Trainer – Ms. Delaine Vigor, Dr. John Vine (RASL), Dr. A. Smith (Veterinary Surgeon), Mr. Carl. Scott (GRV ) and one other licensed person.

After hearing the evidence, Stewards charged Ms. Delaine Vigor with breach of GAR 83 (2)(3) in that as the trainer, she presented the greyhound Lord Brett for the purpose of competing in an event, which was found to be the recipient of the prohibited substance Ketoprofen.

Ms. Delaine Vigor pleaded not guilty to the charge.

GRV Stewards though found Ms. Delaine Vigor guilty and disqualified her licence for 1 month (effective midnight 29th July, 2009). Stewards also disqualified Lord Brett from his winning run at Wangaratta.

In more recent times greyhound trainers guilty of positive swabs to NSAID's have received a range of penalties with NSW greyhound trainer Barry Campbell receiving a three month disqualification in March 2009, NSW greyhound trainer James Jones handed out a three month disqualification back in November 2008 and Victorian trainer Luke Bottom given just a $1,000 fine by GRV Stewards. This “light” penalty continues the trend of Victorian GRV Stewards to downgrade the gravity of a positive swab to a NSAID.

The significance of the small penalty becomes more apparent when you consider that Del Vigor was only recently hauled before GRV Stewards and given a small $200 fine for striking a greyhound in her charge at a trial session in May 2009. I think most would've expected a harsher penalty at both GRV .

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