Greyhound Racing NSW (GRNSW) stewards have completed an inquiry into analysts’ reports that the urine sample taken from Lika Jay Jay after that greyhound won Race 5, the Rapidvite Stakes 5th grade, run at Wentworth Park on Monday 12 January 2015, had been analysed and found to contain the prohibited substance 5beta-androstane-3alpha, 17beta-diol, a metabolite of testosterone, at a concentration of greater than 10ng/ml in a bitch.
Evidence was taken from Lika Jay Jay’s trainer Brad Field, GRNSW steward Mr Craig Pringle and Dr Adam Cawley from the Australian Racing Forensic Laboratory (ARFL). Written evidence was tendered from Mr Pringle, the ARFL and the Racing Science Centre Queensland.
Mr Field explained to stewards that he thought the reason for the detection of the prohibited substance was brought about by an inadvertent administration of Testoprop to Lika Jay Jay by veterinarian Dr Peter Yore who visited Mr Field’s kennels the day prior to the race. Mr Field surmised that he had mistakenly presented Lika Jay Jay to Dr Yore when it was intended for a kennel mate – also a black bitch - to be injected with the Testoprop by Dr Yore. This theory was supported by Dr Cawley’s evidence with the level of the prohibited substance and an administration time study.
Mr Field pleaded guilty to a charge under Gar 83(2) (a) in that he was responsible for the presentation of Lika Jay Jay for the race in question other than free of a prohibited substance, in that the urine sample taken from the greyhound was found on confirmatory analysis to contain the prohibited substance 5beta-androstane-3alpha, 17beta-diol, a metabolite of testosterone, at a concentration of greater than 10ng/ml in a bitch.
Mr Field was subsequently disqualified for nine months.
In determining penalty, stewards took into consideration Mr Field’s lengthy period of registration, with one prior breach of the prohibited substance rule in January 2009, his guilty plea, his forthrightness with stewards during the inquiry, the poor husbandry practices displayed by Mr Field resulting in the positive sample, Mr Field’s failure to produce any form of treatment records for Lika Jay Jay and parity with previous penalties for the same detected prohibited substance.
Under Gar 83 (4), the greyhound Lika Jay Jay was disqualified from the race in question and the placings amended accordingly.
Mr Field was advised of his right of appeal.
