On 8 December 2020, the Victorian Racing Tribunal (VRT) considered a charge issued by Harness Racing Victoria (HRV) Stewards against licensed trainer Kelvin Barker 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 ‘Ruby Delight’ after it won Race 1, the ‘Devcon Properties Pace’, at the Geelong harness racing meeting on 5 February 2020. Racing Analytical Services Limited (RASL) reported that analysis of the sample revealed that it contained the prohibited substance testosterone above the allowable threshold of 55 micrograms per litre in fillies and mares.
Mr Barker pleaded guilty to the charge before submissions on penalty were heard from the HRV Stewards and Lance Justice, representing Mr Barker.
The Tribunal was provided with evidence that ‘Ruby Delight’ had been diagnosed with an ovarian granulosa cell tumour. Further expert evidence submitted during the hearing indicated that elevated testosterone levels are reported in 40 to 50% of mares with this type of tumour.
Penalty
Considering the unusual nature of the matter, and the fact that Mr Barker was not aware of the mare’s condition when it was presented to race at Geelong on 5 February 2020, no penalty was imposed.
The VRT did order that, under AHRR 195, ‘Ruby Delight’ be disqualified from the relevant race and that the placings be amended accordingly.
VRT Panel: Justice Shane Marshall (Chairman) and Robert Abrahams
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)