Greyhound Racing NSW (GRNSW) stewards have concluded an inquiry into analysts' reports that the urine sample taken from Goldie Knox - after that greyhound won Race 10 at The Gardens meeting on 9 August 2013 - had been analysed and confirmed to contain the testosterone metabolite 5beta-androstane-3alpha, 17beta-Diol at a level in excess of 20 ng/ml in urine, which exceeds the threshold limit specified in Gar 83 (6).
Evidence was taken from Goldie Knox’s trainer Phillip Cowling. Written evidence was submitted by the Australian Racing Forensic Laboratory (ARFL), ARFL senior veterinarian Dr Craig Suann, Racing Chemistry Centre WA, and GRNSW.
Mr Cowling advised that he had initially arranged for Goldie Knox to be administered a normal dose of testoprop three days after the race in question. However, he explained that due to leave issues with his veterinary surgeon, it had been decided to bring the bitch to the practice on the day that it was engaged to race and be administered the dose of testoprop. This evidence was consistent with the relatively high levels of the substance detected in the sample.
Mr Cowling pleaded guilty to a charge under Gar 83 (2) (a) in that he presented Goldie Knox for the race in question other than free of any prohibited substance.
Following submissions on penalty, Mr Cowling was suspended for a period of nine months with the penalty concluding at midnight on 31 January 2015.
In assessing penalty, consideration was given to Mr Cowling's record of having no breach of any rule during 17 years of registration in greyhound racing as well as a further period of registration in harness racing. Consideration was also given to Mr Cowling's guilty plea, his personal circumstances which include managing greyhound racing syndicates, and his admissions to the inquiry and the integrity officer upon notification of the findings.
Notwithstanding this, stewards considered a high degree of carelessness in the fact Mr Cowling presented a greyhound which had been administered a hormone on the morning of the race, contrary to many industry warning notices issued in the previous 12 months.
Goldie Knox was disqualified from the event and the placings amended accordingly.
