Greyhound Racing NSW (GRNSW) stewards have completed an inquiry into analysts’ reports that the post-race urine sample taken from Gus’s Gift after that greyhound had finished seventh in Race 2, the Newcastle Greyhounds Stakes 5th grade at The Gardens on Friday 27 February 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 female greyhound.
Evidence was taken from Gus’s Gift’s trainer Beverley Sweeney, her husband Peter Sweeney, and Dr Adam Cawley from the Australian Racing Forensic Laboratory (ARFL). Written evidence was tendered from GRNSW steward Max Reading, the ARFL and the Racing Science Centre Queensland.
It was noted from the photos which accompanied the kennel inspection report supplied by Mr Reading, that during the inspection, the Schedule 4 product Testoprop was found at Ms Sweeney’s kennels.
Mr Sweeney explained to stewards that he thought the reason for the detection of the prohibited substance was brought about by an injection of Testoprop he had personally administered to Gus’s Gift on or about the morning of Monday 23 February, some four days before the race in question was held. Mr Sweeney said he administered the substance due to the absence of the kennels regular vet.
Ms Sweeney did not produce treatment records to support this claim. It was noted from the photos which accompanied the kennel inspection report supplied by Mr Reading, that during the inspection, the Schedule 4 product Testoprop was found at Ms Sweeney’s kennels.
Ms Sweeney advised stewards that she had consented to Mr Sweeney administering the Testoprop and was unaware that neither this nor the possession of a Schedule 4 drug within her kennels was in breach of the rules.
Ms Sweeney pleaded guilty to a charge under Gar 83(2)(a) in that she was responsible for the presentation of Gus’s Gift 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 female greyhound.
Ms Sweeney also pleaded guilty to a secondary charge under Gar 84A(4)(b) that at the time of the kennel inspection undertaken by Mr Reading, she had the Schedule 4 product Testoprop in her possession.
Ms Sweeney was disqualified for a period of five months with respect to the first charge, and fined $200 in reGards to the second charge.
In determining penalty, stewards took into consideration Ms Sweeney’s lengthy period of registration with a substantial number of cleared swabs, her guilty plea, her forthrightness with stewards during the inquiry, her ignorance of the rules reGarding the unlawful possession of a Schedule 4 drug, and the associated published withholding guidelines for Testoprop, parity with previous penalties for the same detected prohibited substance, and GRNSW’s policy of drug free racing.
Mr Sweeney pleaded guilty to a charge under Gar84A(4)(b) in that he had administered Testoprop to Gus’s Gift.
Mr Sweeney was fined $500.
In determining penalty, stewards took into consideration Mr Sweeney’s unblemished lengthy period of registration, his guilty plea, and his honesty with stewards, his unlawful actions, and the need to send a strong message to participants of current public expectations.
Acting under Gar 83 (4), stewards disqualified Gus’s Gift from the race in question.
Both Mr Sweeney and Ms Sweeney were advised of their right of appeal.
