Lennon Receives Fine Only For Group Race Positive Swab
GRNSW Stewards have today confirmed that Dwyer Lennon, trainer of reigning National Sprint Champion Dashing Corsair, has received a fine only for a positive swab in returned by that greyhound in the heats of the Group 2 Wentworth Park Gold Cup in February 2010.
According to GRNSW Stewards Dashing Corsair, who finished second behind Forty Twenty in the second heat of the Gold Cup, returned a positive swab to Ketoprofen, a non steroidal anti-inflammatory.
Obviously the swab, which was a routine group greyhound racing swab, was not analysed prior to the $25,000 to the winner Group 2 final, and Dashing Corsair took it's place in the final, running second to Lochinvar Vogue.
But Greyhound Racing NSW Stewards have confirmed that yesterday, they conducted an inquiry into analyst's reports that the urine sample taken from Dashing Corsair subsequent to that greyhound finishing second in Gold Cup heat contained the prohibited substance Ketoprofen.
Evidence was taken from Trainer Dwyer Lennon and ARFL Acting Operations Manager John Keledjian. Written evidence was entered from the Australian Racing Forensic Laboratory, Racing Science Centre (QLD) and ARFL Senior Veterinarian Dr Craig Suann.
Mr Lennon was subsequently found guilty to a charge under Greyhound Racing Rule 83 (2) (a) in that he presented Dashing Corsair for the race in question not free of a prohibited substance as the urine sample taken from the greyhound was found to contain Ketoprofen.
After considering submissions on penalty Mr Lennon was fined $1500. In determining the penalty Stewards took into consideration Mr Lennon's unblemished record in relation to this Rule, the nature of the substance involved, previous penalties in the relation to the Rule, and the effects that such findings have on the image of greyhound racing.
Under Greyhound Racing Rule 83 (5) Dashing Corsair was disqualified from Race 6 ‘Hesa Felon @ Stud Gold Cup Ht 2' on 6 February 2010 and amend the placings to:
- 1st – FORTY TWENTY
- 2nd – LOCHINVAR VOGUE
- 3rd – CHILLI PUG
Disappointingly though, the swab should have been analysed prior to the running of the Gold Cup final, but as it wasn't, Dashing Corsair took his place in the race at the expense of the Glenda Dart trained Miss Jersey, who was first reserve.
As this positive swab has only come to light more than two months since the swab was taken, and the final of the Gold Cup has aklready been run and won, Dashing Corsair's second place in the Group 2 final has also been removed from the record books, as he technically did not qualify for the final, after being disqualified.
Subsequently, the placings of the 2010 Group 2 Wentworth Park Gold Cup now read as:
- 1st – LOCHINVAR VOGUE
- 2nd – CHILLI JIM
- 3rd – BLUE LORIAN
Lennon can also count himself extremely fortunate, as GRV Stewards handed a one month disqualification to Victorian greyhound trainer Del Vigor for a similar offence in 2009; and at least two other New South Wales greyhound trainers guilty of positive swabs to NSAID's both received three month disqualifications in 2008 and 2009.