Thoroughbred stewards’ inquiry – Trainer Ms Kylie Craig
Racing and Wagering Western Australia (RWWA) stewards concluded an inquiry into a report from ChemCentre in Perth and the Racing Analytical Services Laboratory (Vic) that arsenic in excess of the threshold of 0.30 milligrams/L had been detected in the post-race urine sample taken from Roman Dancer after it had competed in and finished seventh in Race 3 at Geraldton on 1 March 2024.
After hearing evidence from trainer Ms Craig, ChemCentre representative Dr Beckett, RWWA regulatory veterinarian Dr McMullen and RWWA Senior Investigator Mr Walton, Ms Craig pleaded guilty to the following charge:
Australian Rule of Racing 240 (2) Prohibited substance in sample taken from horse at race meeting.
Particulars:
Particulars of the charge being that Ms Craig, as the trainer, brought and presented Roman Dancer for the purposes of participating in Race 3 at Geraldton on 1 March 2024 where it raced and finished in seventh place with the Prohibited B List substance arsenic being detected in a post-race urine sample in excess of 0.30 milligrams/litre.
The stewards determined to impose a fine of $2000.
Further acting under the provisions of AR 240 (1) Roman Dancer was disqualified from seventh position in the respective race and placings were adjusted accordingly.
When determining penalty, stewards considered, among other things:
- Ms Craig’s guilty plea and forthright manner in addressing this inquiry.
- Ms Craig’s clear record in relation to prohibited substance detection over some 25 years as a licensed trainer.
- The circumstances of this matter, where Ms Craig had several arsenic-treated posts at her training establishment and there was unambiguous evidence that the horse in question ingested arsenic treated timber in its yard, shown by partially chewed posts.
- Stewards were satisfied that the reported levels of arsenic were consistent with the horse in question ingesting part of the treated posts.
- There were no products on Ms Craig’s training establishment containing arsenic.
- Precedence in relation to past similar matters.
- That with the risks of horses chewing treated timbers now well known, offences of this nature required suitable penalty to further encourage all trainers to take appropriate precautions to prevent them from occurring as the consequences of horses being disqualified from races had potential to impact owners and had potential to impact overall confidence in racing.