Thoroughbred stewards’ inquiry – trainer Michael Lane (Justabittapress)
Racing and Wagering Western Australia (RWWA) stewards concluded the inquiry into a report from ChemCentre in Perth and the Australian Racing Forensic Laboratory (NSW) that 6a-methylprednisolone had been detected in the post-race urine sample taken from Justabittapress after it had competed in, and won, Race 2 at Bunbury on 10 December 2023.
After hearing evidence from Mr Lane, ChemCentre representative Dr N Beckett, RWWA Regulatory Veterinarian Dr C McMullen and RWWA Investigator/Steward Mr P Criddle, Mr Lane
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: Mr Lane as the trainer, brought the 3-year-old gelding Justabittapress to Bunbury racecourse on 10 December 2023, where it competed in, and won, Race 2, with 6a – methylprednisolone, a prohibited substance on Prohibited List B being detected in a post-race urine sample taken from that gelding.
Charge 2: Australian Rule of Racing 104 (1) Trainers must keep records.
Particulars: Mr Lane, as the trainer of Justabittapress, failed to record in his treatment records, the veterinary medication administered to Justabittapress on 3 November 2023.
Stewards determined to impose the following penalties:
Charge 1: – a fine of $7000
Charge 2: – a fine of $500
Further, acting under the provisions of AR240(1) Justabittapress was disqualified from the race in question, with placings amended accordingly and relevant adjustments to prizemoney to apply.
When determining penalty, stewards considered, among other things:
- Mr Lane’s guilty pleas and forthright manner in addressing this inquiry.
- Mr Lane’s record in relation to previous breaches of the prohibited substance rules which shows a previous breach in 2021.
- The nature of the prohibited substance which is classified as a therapeutic.
- The circumstances of the administration of the detected substance which involved veterinary supervision and treatment.
- Mr Lane’s personal circumstances.
- Precedence in relation to past therapeutic cases.