Flanagan sticking by Mackay as NSW trainer looks to appeal ban
Daniel Flanagan is adamant his great mate and top Richmond Vale-based trainer Jason Mackay is one of the best and toughest blokes you could ever meet.
But right now, he says a shattered Mackay is “not in a good way”.
This was after he received a two-year suspension from the NSW Greyhound Welfare and Integrity Commission (GWIC), with two of his greyhounds testing positive to banned substance gonadorelin.
But Flanagan – also a respected Maitland-based trainer – maintains Mackay is innocent.
And he will throw his support behind the fallen conditioner as he looks to appeal the length of his ban, with Fantastic Raven and Zipping Maserati testing positive to the banned substance in out-of-competition swabs.
“I'm filthy to see him going through this, and to see him now is not good,” Flanagan told Australian Racing Greyhound.
“He comes across as the toughest bloke you've ever met – and not in just my eyes, but a lot of people.
“And to see him shattered the way he is, I hate to say it but he's not doing good at all.”
Mackay's livelihood which he loves began to unravel on August 6.
That was when GWIC attended his kennel premises to conduct an inspection after Fantastic Raven finished second in the Group 2 Richmond Oaks Final on Friday, June 24, with Zipping Maserati also finishing fifth in the Richmond Derby Final on the same evening.
Following receipt of the two certificates of analysis from Racing Analytical Services Limited (RASL) dated August 4, GWIC conducted an investigation into the results of the two out-of-competition samples taken from the greyhounds.
GWIC attended Mackay's kennel premises two days later to conduct an inspection in relation to the results.
During the inspection, GWIC inspectors located and seized 10 barking muzzles, with Mackay admitting to an inspector he used a muzzle on an unnamed greyhound the day prior.
The inspectors also located and seized un-labelled and un-prescribed prohibited and exempted substances from Mackay.
Further analysis of the two samples was conducted by the New Zealand Racing Laboratory (Confirmatory Laboratory).
The Confirmatory Laboratory confirmed the presence of gonadorelin in both samples taken from out-of-competition samples on June 22.
On October 20, Mackay was issued with a notice of charge and proposed disciplinary action (Notice) in relation to the charges.
In the Notice issued on October 20, GWIC charged Mackay with seven charges under Rule 139(3)(a), Rule 30(2), Rule 151 and Rule 148(2).
Mackay entered a guilty plea to all charges in an effort to have his suspension time cut.
And Flanagan is sticking by his beleaguered mate.
“Jason wouldn't do something like this – 100 per cent I want that on the record,” he said.
“He's a genuine bloke and I believe he's done nothing wrong.
“They swabbed the dogs Friday night at Richmond and it was clear.
“He's innocent in my eyes.
“They (GWIC inspectors) can rock up on your doorstep and take out an out-of-competition test.
“And three days later they're clear.”
With his guilty plea, the reduction in time being served will not ease the pain on Mackay, who has been involved in greyhounds for more than 35 years.
Mackay is also making plans to appeal the length of his suspension.
“He's going to appeal it and hopefully he gets a fair go,” Flanagan said.
“And no matter what he says, no one believes him.”
Flanagan said Mackay has given his life to greyhound racing.
That means getting up before sunrise every day to provide for his wife and three daughters, who he loves dearly.
“Everything is for his girls and his wife. He's the most unselfish person you'll ever meet,” Flanagan said.
“He does everything for them, and to put smiles on their faces.”
Flanagan also said Mackay has gone to great lengths to look out for him after Flanagan recently lost his father, John.
“I lost my old man two weeks ago, and he checks up on me two or three times a day,” he said.
“That's the type of person he is. He loves the industry and you would not meet a better bloke.
“The one thing I'm grateful for is our mateship.
“He's pretty bloody loyal. When my old man passed, he wanted to be there.
“It makes me upset now just talking about it. We had dogs together and Jason would check them for us.
“He was getting a bit older and my mother wanted to go away on holidays, and I was working two jobs.
“So we had a chat with Jason (to help out) and I go out there every morning, and we work together.”
GWIC released the following statement when contacted by Australian Racing Greyhound.
“The investigation related to two out-of-competition samples taken from ‘Fantastic Raven' and ‘Zipping Maserati' on 22 June 2022, two days prior to competing at Richmond on 24 June 2022, which both returned positive results for the permanently banned prohibited substance, gonadorelin.
“Mr Mackay's matter was dealt with in accordance to the Commission's Disciplinary Action Guide and the Penalty Guidelines, which are available on the Commission's website.
“The Commission has an open and transparent disciplinary process that is applied consistently and fairly to any participant found to be in breach of the Greyhound Racing Rules, the Code of Practice or Commission Policies, and is committed to ensuring all participants receive procedural fairness.
“Further, the Commission notes that Mr Mackay was legally represented throughout the disciplinary process.
“Rule 139 of the Greyhound Racing Rules makes it an offence for a permanently banned prohibited substance to be present in a greyhound at any time, regardless of whether the greyhound is presented to compete in an Event at the time the sample is taken.
“In accordance with Rule 139(3)(b), both greyhounds were disqualified from the events on 24 June 2022. As the matter may yet be subject to appeal, the Commission will not be commenting further.”