On 30 June 2021, the Victorian Racing Tribunal (VRT) considered a charge issued by Harness Racing Victoria (HRV) Stewards against licensed trainer and driver Ash Warton under Australian Harness Racing Rule (AHRR) 190(1).
AHRR 190(1) reads as follows:
A horse shall be presented for a race free of prohibited substances.
The charge related to a blood sample collected from the horse ‘Modern Bliss’ after it won the ‘Hyland Harness Colours Pace’, at the Cranbourne harness racing meeting on 6 December 2020. Racing Analytical Services Limited (RASL) reported the sample contained flunixin.
Mr Warton pleaded guilty to the charge before submissions on penalty were heard from the HRV Stewards and Mr Warton.
Penalty
Mr Warton received a $4000 fine, with $1000 of that fine suspended for a period of 12 months.
The VRT also ordered that, under AHRR 195, ‘Modern Bliss’ be disqualified from Race 8 at Cranbourne on 6 December 2020 and that the placings be amended accordingly.
VRT Panel: Judge Graeme Hicks (Deputy Chairperson) and Ms Maree Payne.
The written decisions of the VRT can be found here.
(Please note that VRT Decisions will generally be published within 7-10 days of the date of hearing)