On 31 January 2022, the Victorian Racing Tribunal (VRT) considered a charge issued by Harness Racing Victoria (HRV) Stewards against licensed trainer Maryanne Laffan 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 ‘Silky Smooth Excuse’ prior to Race 5 at the Shepparton harness racing meeting 21 July 2021. Racing Analytical Services Limited (RASL) reported that the sample contained arsenic in excess of the allowable threshold.
Ms Laffan pleaded guilty to the charge before submissions on penalty were heard from the HRV Stewards and Ms Laffan.
Penalty
Ms Laffan was fined $3000, with $2500 of that fine suspended for a period of 12 months.
The VRT also ordered that, under AHRR 195, ‘Silky Smooth Excuse’ 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)