IN his popular column, ‘SILKS & SADDLES,’ published in the NORTH QUEENSLAND REGISTER, respected racing writer TERRY BUTTS reports on the controversy surrounding the Sydney stewards decision to fine champion trainer Chris Waller over the Junoob positive swab.
He also reveals how the racing community in Rockhampton has welcomed a decision to reduce a penalty imposed on jockey Tracey O’Hara and suggests that SKY2 should be restricted to coverage of the trots and dogs.
Here is the Butts’ column:
CONTROVERSY RAGES OVER THE CHRIS WALLER POSITIVE SWAB
CONTROVERSY rages over the positive swab returned by the Chris Waller tried Junoob-winner of this year’s Metropolitan.
There are still questions that haven’t been satisfactorily answered, including: Why did the inquiry take so long to initiate?
The race was run in early October.
Waller and his $30,000 fine for using the rather common diuretic Lasix has caused a furore in racing blogs around the country by writers and readers. And very few of them are favourable or sympathetic to the trainer.
“The perception that Australian horse racing is rife with hypocrisy and double standards – a world where appearing to do the right thing is more important than actually doing the right thing,” wrote Costa Rolfe on Punters.com.
“This case has done little to rattle the foundations of that perception,’’ he added.
“Indeed, the $30,000 fine handed out to Chris Waller would appear only to have buttressed that belief.’’
He went on: “Waller – who escaped penalty in 2013 after four of his horses were deemed to have ingested the prohibited substance Ibuprofen – reigns supreme as the imperious King of Sydney racing.
“And the prospect of a Chris Waller-less Sydney scene, even if only for a short spell, would not be one that appeals to those that matter.
“Heaven help the next bush trainer – or even lower-tier city trainer – however, that returns a positive sample. The example made of them will be swift and merciless, so allowing authorities to get closer to achieving their annual quota of ‘malignant undesirables’ thwarted, Rolfe claimed.
‘HOW CAN A TRAINER HAVE A MASKING AGENT LIKE LASIX IN HIS STABLE’?
AND the comments from readers ranged from “How can he have Lasix in his stable in the first place? to “Everyone knows Lasix is a good masking agent and has been for years.”
Another questioned the actual amount administered to the horse on Metropolitan race day.
But the big question is the fact that the horse was treated on race day.It is an absolute no-no.
Trainers have been severely punished for administering a harmless salt drench or drip within the 24 hour curfew.
Australian Rule of Racing AR.178E. (1) reads: “no person without the permission of the stewards may administer or cause to be administered any medication to a horse on race day prior to such horse running in a race”.
The rule carries a minimum six month disqualification but Racing NSW Chief Stipe Ray Murrihy said the rule isn’t in place to ‘punish accidents’.
“It's not a rule that's there directed at a stablehand who makes an error, it's directed squarely at someone that's trying to drench a horse or administer supplements to improve a horse's performance,” he said.
“This was an accidental one. Chris Waller didn't order the administration of Lasix nor did he cause it to happen.”
Question then is: Who did?
I suggest every trainer gets a copy of Murrihy’s ruling on this matter – and keeps it in a safe place – especially this line: “The race day administration rule is there for someone that says ‘go and do this . You have to show intent to fall foul of that rule.”
Does that mean if someone jumps a stable fence and ‘gets at’a horse the trainer is not responsible?
When did that rule change?
I recall former Chief Stipe in North Queensland, Alan Cooper, saying he never, in all his time, conducted a stable search.
He saw no benefit.
But if a trainer (any trainer that is) turned up at the races with a horse that was positive to a banned substance it was an automatic three months disqualification – no matter what the circumstances.
Waller, by the way, said he wouldn't be lodging an appeal.
O’HARA SUSPENSION REDUCTION WELCOMED BY RACING COMMUNITY
stewards last week reduced by half the one month suspension imposed on jockey Tracey O’Hara who was charged and penalised last month for belting rival jockey Dale Evans with her whip during track work.
It was, apparently, a welcomed outcome by the local racing community who are well aware of the circumstances surrounding the case and recent personal trauma suffered by Tracey who lost best friend Carly Mae Pye so tragically.
She showed stewards the scores of vile emails that had been directed to her and said when Evans rode his mount into her at track work she said she just ‘snapped’.
In the same week NSW stewards handed a somewhat hefty 12 months suspension to a trainer who got involved in a scuffle with another trainer on the Inverell racecourse. Twelve months? Surely there will be an appeal.
And while on stewards – how can they fine Brisbane apprentice Luke Tarrant for coming in .04kg lighter after winning the Villiers on Saturday. There was absolutely no suggestion of cheating – or that displayed “any intent to fall foul of that rule.”
It was pathetic overkill by stewards.
Compare that to the $400 Michelle Payne was fined for weighing in .05kg light in Melbourne.
What were we saying about stewards singing from the same song sheet?
It’s Christmas. Might be a good time to start!
MOVEMENT IN THE STEWARDS RANKS IN NORTH QUEENSLAND
THERE’S a bit of movement too by stewards around the north.
Mail is thát big Karl Smith who has been in charge of Mackay is moving to the Atherton Tablelands where he will assume a part time role under Harold Warren.
And Matt Haigh will depart Townsville soon to work under his old mate and former northern chief Jamie Dart at Queensland Greyhounds.
SKY2 SHOWED ONCE AGAIN IT SHOULD BE RESTRICTED TO TROTS AND DOGS
SKY2 the racing channel we have to have, sunk to the bottom of the barrel on Sunday when it preferred to telecast a trotting event at Wedderburn (population 680), somewhere in the back blocks of Victoria, that clashed with a race at Townsville (population 200,000 – hub of North Queensland racing).
It was the ultimate snob.
SKY2 should just concentrate on dogs and trots and anything else that moves from Waipukurau to Yonkers.
Neither the Aussie race clubs nor the racing public want a bar of it.
CLUDEN MIGHT BE RACING UP UNTIL MID-JANUARY
LATEST on Cluden is that there may be racing right up until January 18.
Tenders have been signed but by the time everything is set to go it will be after the holidays and the club say they might as well race right up until the bulldozers come crashing through the gates.
At this stage January 2 is a definite and the 18th looking likely.
Hope the wet doesn’t get in the way!
Hope too, that you have a happy Christmas and find lots of winners.
COLUMN COURTESY OF TERRY BUTTS AND THE NORTH QUEENSLAND REGISTER, one of Australia's leading rural newspapers.
TERRY BUTTS can be contacted by e-mailing: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
