On 21 May 2021, the Victorian Racing Tribunal (VRT) considered a charge issued by Harness Racing Victoria (HRV) Stewards against licensed trainer Wayne Ferguson 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 ‘Ghanasuya’ after it won Race 5 at the Maryborough harness racing meeting on 24 August 2020. Racing Analytical Services Limited (RASL) reported that the sample contained arsenic in excess of the allowable threshold.
Mr Ferguson pleaded guilty to the charge before submissions on penalty were heard from the HRV Stewards and Mr Ferguson.
Penalty
Mr Ferguson was fined $3000, with $2500 of that fine suspended for a period of 12 months.
The VRT also ordered that, under AHRR 195, ‘Ghanasuya’ be disqualified from the relevant race and that the placings be amended accordingly.
VRT Panel: Judge Graeme Hicks (Chairman) and Josh Bornstein
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)