THOROUGHBRED STEWARDS INQUIRY TRAINER MR LINDSEY SMITH
RWWA Stewards today concluded the adjourned inquiry into a report received from the ChemCentre in Perth, that arsenic in excess of the threshold value being 0.30 mg/L in urine, was detected in the urine sample taken from:
- GREAT AGAIN after it competed in and won Race 6 at Northam on Monday, 4 June 2018
- MR MOTOWN after it competed in and won Race 6 at Belmont Park on Saturday, 9 June 2018
The inquiry commenced on Monday 13 August 2018, where evidence was taken from RWWA Veterinarian Dr Judith Medd, Senior RWWA Investigator Mr Geoff Johnson, ChemCentre Analyst Ms M Raghvani and Trainer Mr Lindsey Smith.
Mr Smith was charged under the provisions of ARR178, with the particulars being;
- As the trainer of GREAT AGAIN and MR MOTOWN, he brought both geldings to compete in the above races with the prohibited substance arsenic being detected in the post-race urine sample taken from them.
Mr Smith pleaded not guilty to the charges and Stewards then adjourned the inquiry to consider the matter, and to also raise with Racing Australia the matter of the existing arsenic threshold within the rules and the mandatory provisions of AR177 which state that a horse must be disqualified from any race it started if a prohibited substance is detected in any sample taken from it prior to or following the race.
Stewards heard further evidence today from Mr Smith and he was subsequently found guilty to both charges.
In relation to the matter of penalty, Stewards were satisfied that the detection of arsenic in the urine sample taken from GREAT AGAIN and MR MOTOWN most likely arose through environmental contamination caused by exposure to Copper Chromium Arsenic (CCA) treated timber which was in use as yard fencing at Mr Smith’s property, and also at his registered foreperson Ms L Stremple’s property, at the time.
This was evidenced during an inspection by RWWA officials when conducting investigations into these matters with the analytical evidence presented at the inquiry supporting such finding.
Stewards determined to record a conviction against Mr Smith under AR178, however no penalty was imposed against him after full consideration of all of the circumstances involved which is consistent with previous cases of a similar nature where it was also established that environmental contamination was most likely the reason for arsenic being detected above the threshold level.
Further, under the provisions of AR 177, GREAT AGAIN and MR MOTOWN were both disqualified as the winner of the above races with the placings being amended accordingly.
ENDS