On 2 May 2022, the Victorian Racing Tribunal (VRT) considered a charge issued by Harness Racing Victoria (HRV) Stewards against licensed trainer Justin Brewin 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 ‘Colby Art’ following Race 2 at the Terang harness racing meeting on 9 November 2021. Racing Analytical Services Limited (RASL) reported that the sample contained arsenic in excess of the allowable threshold.
Mr Brewin pleaded guilty to the charge before submissions on penalty were heard on behalf of the HRV Stewards and Mr Brewin.
Penalty
Mr Brewin was fined $3000, with $2500 of that fine suspended for a period of 12 months.
The VRT also ordered that, under AHRR 195, ‘Colby Art’ be disqualified from the relevant race and that the placings be amended accordingly.
VRT Panel: Shane Marshall (Chairman) and Amanda Dickens
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)