Thoroughbred stewards’ inquiry – trainer Julie Mitchell (GRINNING RUPERT)
Racing and Wagering Western Australia (RWWA) stewards conducted an inquiry on Monday, 14 March 2022 into reports received from the Chem Centre in Perth that Meloxicam had been detected in the post-mortem sample taken from GRINNING RUPERT following the running of Race 1 at Ascot on 4 December 2021.
At the inquiry evidence was taken from Chem Centre Analyst Dr N Beckett, RWWA Regulatory Veterinarian Dr C McMullen, RWWA Senior Investigative Steward Mr P Criddle and trainer Ms J Mitchell.
Ms Mitchell pleaded guilty to breaching AR240(2) with the particulars of the charge being that she was the licensed trainer of GRINNING RUPERT when it was brought to race at Ascot on 4 December 2021, where it raced in Race 1, with the prohibited substance meloxicam, being a Prohibited List B substance, being detected in a post mortem urine sample taken from that gelding.
The matter was then adjourned for the stewards to consider the appropriate penalty in all of the circumstances.
The stewards today determined the appropriate penalty to be a fine of $6,000 and in view of the mandatory provisions of AR240 (1) also disqualified GRINNING RUPERT from the race in question with commensurate implications for any payments issued to apply.
In determining penalty, stewards considered several factors including:
- Ms Mitchell’s guilty plea and unblemished record over many years of licensed involvement.
- That the inquiry was unable to safely determine the basis upon which the meloxicam came to be present in the gelding at the reported level which was high compared to the screening limit for this substance.
- There was an absence of evidence to establish a causal link between the detection of the substance and the injury sustained to the horse on the day.
- The potential for such matters to tarnish the image and reputation of racing.
- Past cases in relation to therapeutic substances of this nature, the majority of which involved the imposition of fines.
- The need for the penalty to reflect the industries commitment to maintaining the highest standards with respect to presentation of horses free of prohibited substances for races.