Harness Racing Victoria (HRV) Stewards have issued two (2) charges against licensed trainer Paul Watson under Australian Harness Racing Rule (AHRR) 190(1) and 190A(4).
AHRR 190(1) reads:
A horse shall be presented for a race free of prohibited substances.
It is alleged that the horse ‘Emily Vincent’ was presented to race at Maryborough on 15 December 2022 when not free of cobalt, a prohibited substance when evidenced at a concentration above the allowable threshold.
The further charge under AHRR 190A(4) relates to a bottle of liquid labelled ‘Stanazol’ being located by Investigative Stewards at the registered stables of Mr Watson during a stable inspection on 27 January 2023.
Subsequent analysis confirmed that the liquid in the bottle contained stanozolol, which is an anabolic androgenic steroid.
The charges will be heard by the Victorian Racing Tribunal (VRT) on a date to be fixed.