On 10 November 2020, the Victorian Racing Tribunal (VRT) considered a charge issued by Harness Racing Victoria (HRV) Stewards against licensed trainer-driver David Aiken 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 urine sample collected from the horse ‘Secret Identity’ after it won Race 1, the ‘Equine After Care 3YO Pace’, at the Shepparton harness racing meeting on 1 May 2020. Racing Analytical Services Limited (RASL) reported that analysis of the sample revealed that it contained the prohibited substance hyoscine.
Mr Aiken pleaded guilty to the charge before submissions on penalty were heard from the HRV Stewards and Mr Aiken and Colleen Aiken.
Penalty
Mr Aiken was fined $1500, with $1000 of that fine suspended for a period of 12 months.
The VRT also ordered that, under AHRR 195, ‘Secret Identity’ be disqualified from the relevant race and that the placings be amended accordingly.
VRT Panel: Judge John Bowman (Chairman) and Greg Childs
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)