On 1 February 2021, the Victorian Racing Tribunal (VRT) considered a charge issued by Harness Racing Victoria (HRV) Stewards against licensed trainer Trevor Monk 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 ‘Terrorleen’ after it won Race 6, the ‘Hygain Pace’, at the Bendigo harness racing meeting on 23 June 2020. Racing Analytical Services Limited (RASL) reported that analysis of the sample revealed that it contained the prohibited substance hydrochlorothiazide.
Mr Monk pleaded guilty to the charge before submissions on penalty were heard from the HRV Stewards and Mr Monk.
Penalty
Mr Monk was fined $2000, with $1000 of that fine suspended for 12 months.
The VRT also ordered that, under AHRR 195, ‘Terrorleen’ be disqualified from the relevant race and that the placings be amended accordingly.
VRT Panel: Justice 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)