Thoroughbred stewards’ inquiry – Trainer David Hopperton (Play Dice)
Racing and Wagering Western Australia (RWWA) stewards conducted an inquiry on Thursday, 7 March 2024 into reports from the ChemCentre in Perth and the Racing Analytical Services Laboratory (Vic) that metformin was detected in the sample taken from Play Dice, trained by David Hopperton, following it competing in and winning Race 2 at Bunbury on 21 December 2023.
After hearing evidence from Mr Hopperton, Managing Owner Mrs J Hopperton, ChemCentre representative Dr B Dorakumbora, Head of Veterinary Services Dr J Medd and RWWA Senior Investigator Steward Mr P Criddle, Mr Hopperton pleaded guilty to the following charges:
Charge 1 Australian Rule of Racing 240 (2) prohibited substance in sample taken from horse at race meeting.
Particulars of the charge being that Mr Hopperton, as the trainer presented Play Dice to race at the Bunbury Racecourse on Thursday 21 December 2023, where it raced and won Race 2, with metformin, a prohibited substance on Prohibited List A, being detected in a post- race urine sample taken from Play Dice.
Charge 2 Local Rule 97F (a) (b)
Particulars being that Mr Hopperton, a licensed trainer, stabled his racehorses at a property other than his registered stable address as notified on your licence renewal for the 2023-24 racing season, without having made a written application and obtained the consent of the stewards.
Having adjourned the inquiry to consider penalty, stewards have now determined to impose the following penalties:
Charge 1 – six (6) months disqualification, backdated to commence on 28 February 2024, on which date Mr Hopperton’s licence was suspended. This term of disqualification will expire at midnight 27 August 2024.
Charge 2 – a fine of $500.
Further acting under the provisions of AR 240 (1) Play Dice was disqualified as the winner of Race 2 at Bunbury on 21 December 2023 and placings adjusted accordingly with all relevant prize money to be returned and redistributed accordingly.
When determining penalty, stewards considered, among other things:
- Mr Hopperton’s guilty plea to both charges.
- Mr Hopperton’s blemish free record in relation to prohibited substance detection over some 50 years as a licensed trainer.
- That the reported level was low and in the absence of any circumstantial evidence regarding direct administration, it was a level consistent with potential environmental contamination.
- That any potential environmental contamination was attributable to the direct actions of Mr Hopperton in failing to adopt appropriate standards to ameliorate such potential as described within the published Notice to Trainers concerning possibility of contamination.
- The intent and purpose of the rule which was directed to ensuring a level playing field and maintaining the necessary confidence of those supporting or involved in the racing industry.
- That there are no registered medical formulas containing metformin approved for the use in horses in Australia and it is not generally regarded as having any legitimate therapeutic use in racing horses.
- The evidence that metformin was a specified prohibited substance under Rule 190A (2)(j) by virtue of having an action or effect as an Adenosine Monophosphate Kinase (AMPK) Activator and was thus considered to be a permanently banned substance.
- Penalties issued in Western Australia for a range of substances which reflected that those concerning permanently banned substances attracted higher levels of penalty, commonly lengthy disqualifications, as compared to penalties issued for the detection of routine veterinary therapeutics.
Trainers are again reminded that the potential of contamination from improper practices in the stable/kennel environment is a matter that requires proactive measures and appropriate standards to eliminate such potential. Information with respect to this is available within the Veterinary Notices section of the RWWA Website (e.g. Veterinary Notices – Racing & Wagering WA (rwwa.com.au).
As a matter of basic hygiene and proper practice, that includes ensuring that neither they, nor their staff, urinate in areas where racing animals are kept, exposed to, or have access to. This also mitigates against any prospect that human prescription medications or other prohibited substances are transferred to the environment.
Where a prohibited substance is detected in a sample, ‘recycling’ or environmental contamination, even if established, does not absolve the trainer from an offence under the Rules of Racing or possible penalties including disqualification.