On 13 July 2021, the Victorian Racing Tribunal (VRT) considered a charge issued by Harness Racing Victoria (HRV) Stewards against licensed trainer Greg Norman 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 ‘Blue Coman NZ’ after it won Race 9 at the Bendigo harness racing meeting on 24 November 2020. Racing Analytical Services Limited (RASL) reported that the sample contained the prohibited substance dexamethasone.
Mr Norman pleaded guilty to the charge before submissions on penalty were heard from the HRV Stewards and Mr Norman.
Penalty
Mr Norman was fined $5000, with $4000 of that fine suspended for a period of 12 months.
The VRT also ordered that, under AHRR 195, ‘Blue Coman NZ’ be disqualified from the relevant race and that the placings be amended accordingly.
VRT Panel: Magistrate John Doherty (Deputy Chairperson) and Judge Marilyn Harbison
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)