In the stewards room: QLD legend Ron Ball banned for life
LEGENDARY trainer Ron Ball has been banned for life by the Queensland All Codes Racing Industry Board in the aftermath of the live-baiting scandal.
Ball had previously been issued a show cause notice as to why he should not be warned off, with the QACRIB considering his application before making their decision to ban him on Tuesday.
He is the 22nd greyhound trainer to be banned in the state, while he was also stripped of his Hall of Fame honour which he received in 2011.
Ball is one of the most highly-regarded conditioners in the whole country, having trained former champion sprinter Flying Amy throughout the entirety of her career.
He is now forbidden from ever attending a greyhound meeting or betting on greyhounds, thoroughbreds or harness races – essentially he is not allowed to participate in the racing industry in any way.
Ball has not been issued with any criminal charges.
Norman Desmond Sykes cleared of live-baiting
NORMAN Desmond Sykes has had his trainer’s license re-instated after he was suspended in March for alleged involvement in the practise of live-baiting.
Racing Queensland considered the submissions put forward at a show cause hearing and subsequently ruled that there was insufficient evidence to sustain live-baiting charges.
Sykes is now allowed to resume training and racing greyhounds.
Eric Conroy fined
Racing Queensland conducted an inquiry last week after the prohibited substance Sotalol was found in a urine sample taken from the greyhound Malloury Queen when it competed at Bundaberg on March 14, 2015.
Evidence was taken from Malloury Queen’s trainer, Eric Conway, who was subsequently charged with a breack of GAR 83(2)(a) in that he presented his greyhound in a state not free of a prohibited substance.
Conway pleaded guilty to the charge and was issued with a $1000 fine.
New South Wales
JOHN Cini has faced Greyhound Racing NSW Stewards after a cocktail of drugs was detected in a urine sample taken from one of his greyhounds after it won a race at Gunnedah on January 10, 2015.
Cini was charged with a breach of GAR 83 (2) after his chaser, Deb’s Dream, returned a sample which showed the presence of prohibited substances 5b-androstane-2a, 17b-diol, Flunixin, and Boldenone and its metabolite Androsta-1, 4 diene-3, 17 dione.
Evidence was taken from numerous people including Dr Adam Cawley from the Australian Racing Forensic Laboratory (ARFL) who stated that the estimated level of 5b-androstane-2a, 17b-diol found in the greyhound’s system was 460ng/ml, the second highest finding recorded by the ARFL. The levels were consistent with the drug being administered 12 to 20 hours before the collection of the urine sample.
In addition, the approximate level of Flunixin, 10,000ng/ml, was the highest level that the lab had ever recorded, with the substance thought to have been administered two to four hours prior to the swab being taken.
Cini pleaded not guilty to the charge of presenting his greyhound in a state not free of a prohibited substance, but could not explain why the four drugs were found in its system. He has subsequently been disqualified for a period of two years.
Deb’s Dream was also disqualified from the event.
Victoria
THE Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) has upheld the decision made by the GRV Racing Appeals and Disciplinary Board (RADB) to disqualify prominent trainer Michelle Mallia-Magria.
Mallia-Magria was disqualified for a period of four months and fined $2,000 for a breach of GAR 83 (2)(3) after her greyhound, See Him Next, returned a positive swab to the prohibited substance 4-Hydroxy Xylazine at Ballarat on November 5, 2014.
The VCAT have ruled that Mallia-Magria is allowed to continue to reside on her property where greyhounds are kennelled and trained by her husband.
Wayne Gray suspended
TRAINER Wayne Gray appealed a three month suspension handed down to him by Greyhound Racing Victoria Stewards at Shepparton on April 21, 2015, after it was determined that his greyhound, Why Not Lucy, was found to have the permanently banned substance Morphine present in an out of competition urine sample taken on January 8, 2015.
The GRV Racing Appeals and Disciplinary Board (RADB) determined last week that Gray was guilty as charged of a breach of GAR 79(A)(4)(i) and suspended him for the period from April 21, 2015 through to May 17, 2015 and from May 25, 2015, through to June 28, 2015. The breaks within his suspension indicate when he was granted a stay of proceedings between the original steward’s decision and the RADB’s final verdict.
Sam Labozzetta fined
AN OUTBURST at the Warragul meeting on February 10, 2015, has cost trainer Sam Labozzetta $800 after he pleaded guilty to breaches of GAR 86 (g) and 86 (p) in that he verbally threatened GRV steward Carl Scott and failed to comply with his orders.
Labozzetta was also suspended for three months, however that penalty has been wholly suspended for 12 months pending no further breaches of GAR 86 (g).
William Strangio disqualified
WILLIAM Strangio has been disqualified for six months, three of which have been suspended for 12 months.
Strangio appeared before the GRV RADB where he pleaded guilty to a breach of GAR 83(2)(3) after his greyhound, Nirtofied, returned a positive pre-race urine sample to the prohibited substance 6a Hydroxystanozolol which was taken at the Geelong meeting on February 16, 2015.
Nitrofield was disqualified from the event in question, with Strangio’s disqualification effective from midnight May 13, 2015.
Tasmania
TASSIE trainer Gerard Allford has been disqualified for a total of 42 months after two of his greyhounds returned positive swabs to prohibited substances.
A swab taken from his greyhound, Jadie Bear, at Hobart on January 22 this year was found to contain the presence of Amphetamine, Hydroxyamphetamine and Theobromine, while a second greyhound, Bearville Azza, was swabbed at the Launceston meting on February 27, 2015, with the analysis showing that Amphetamine and Hydroxyamphetamine were present in its system.
After hearing submissions and evidence, Racing Services Tasmania Stewards charged Allford with a two breaches of GAR 83(2)(a) which relates to presenting a greyhound not free of a prohibited substance.
Allford pleaded guilty to both charges.
For the first charge, he was disqualified for a period of 18 months, while he was slapped with a 24 month disqualification for the second, having already been aware of the first swab irregularity before Bearville Azza was presented to race.
South Australia
LEADING trainer Karen Bearpark, the partner of veterinarian John Katakasi, has been ordered to attend an interview with Greyhound Racing SA’s Senior Investigator on May 28 in relation into substances which were found during a kennel inspection on her property in March.
GRSA have tested all of the substances which were seized on the day with the final results having been received.
Bearpark’s greyhounds remain suspended until further notice.
GreyhoundRacing Remember that interview with you guys? Liar liar pants on fire. #greyhound #livebaiting
Business as usual I see.
Nez_animallover GreyhoundRacing We have never done any interviews and our views are widely known in the public https://australianracinggreyhound.com/news/time-for-a-fresh-start-arg-responds-to-live-baiting-crisis/61391/
GreyhoundRacing I think greyhound racing crisis is an understatement having read of all that. What a mess.
GreyhoundRacing Ah sorry – getting mixed up with Reg Kay! Will remove comment. So many nasty ppl – get them mixed up!
I note that Bruce isn’t taking comments anymore. HIs obsession with using statistics to justify everything will go unchecked.
GreyhoundRacing Remember that interview with you guys? Liar liar pants on fire. #greyhound #livebaiting
Business as usual I see.
Nez_animallover GreyhoundRacing We have never done any interviews and our views are widely known in the public australianracinggreyhound.com/australian-gre…
GreyhoundRacing I think greyhound racing crisis is an understatement having read of all that. What a mess.
GreyhoundRacing Ah sorry – getting mixed up with Reg Kay! Will remove comment. So many nasty ppl – get them mixed up!
Well how disappointing to read all of that :( the lenient sentencing handed out is still disappointing.
As for Ron Ball so what good riddance the sooner these people are dealt with and out of the headlines only then can we get on with getting our industry back after he and others have dragged it down to its knees.
Dezzey If you havent heard yet N.Davis a relation to BATE, J.HUNT and P HUNT has turned up a couple of positives to speed .Her trainers licence has been suspended till after the inquiry and at the moment has 64 dogs in her kennel the greater majority of them are wheeler dogs .Lets hope the grv dont let the dogs be transferred to another kennel .I find it strange that all these dogs that are being positive to hard drugs are wheeler dogs surely he must know what they are doing yet he keeps sending dogs to them when he… Read more »
The sooner we get rid of wheeler and his crooked trainers the sooner the game will improve in vic.
So far we have 3 in victoria that have got life but unfortunately there was one of the live baiters got 10 years with 5 of it suspended.He should have got life also
I note that Bruce isn’t taking comments anymore. HIs obsession with using statistics to justify everything will go unchecked.
Some people dont like to admit there are so many crooks in the game .There are so many of them and while they are just getting a slap on the wrists the cheats will keep thriving .