Hefty fines for positive drug tests

Three winning horses in June tested positive for prohibited substances in their blood and their trainers have been handed hefty fines by the National Horseracing Authority (NHA).

All three horses have been disqualified and their winnings nullified.

Trainer Johan Janse van Vuuren must pay R100,000 and R60,000 after signing admission of guilt forms in two cases involving a prohibited substance detected in horses’ blood.

Another Highveld conditioner, Weiho Marwing, was fined R18,000 for one positive finding.

Fined and disqualified

In a press release, the NHA said the presence of Acepromazine (Class 3) was discovered on analysis of specimens taken from Janse van Vuuren-trained Bjorn Ironside after the juvenile gelding won the third race at Turffontein Racecourse on 9 June – at odds of 3-10.

The same drug was found in the system of three-year-old filly Lovegrass after she’d won the eighth race at Turffontein on 30 June – at 4-1.

In terms of Rule 72.3.2 both horses were disqualified from the respective races.

The presence of Flumethasone (Class 4) showed up in a specimen taken from Marwing’s charge Daring Dash after the 7-10 chance, a two-year-old gelding, won Race 2 at Greyville on 29 June.

Daring Dash was also disqualified.

There have been no recent press releases from the NHA regarding positives from its controversial pre-race total carbon dioxide (TCO2) testing.

‘Milkshaking’

A new regime introduced earlier this year – of immediate analysis of blood specimens taken an hour before races – saw a rash of horses all over the country being summarily scratched.

The new system was aimed at stopping administration of sodium bicarbonate to horses – or “milkshaking” – to inhibit their production of lactic acid. Milkshaking is classed as doping in most racing jurisdictions around the world.

Some trainers falling foul of the TCO2 tests swore blind that they’d never done milkshaking and called into question the reliability of the NHA’s testing methods and its equipment.

The number of horses being scratched raised eyebrows and concern that major race meetings such as the Durban July could be spoilt for racing fans.

The NHA defended itself in a media statement, reassuring “all stakeholders, including trainers, owners and racing enthusiasts, of the robustness and accuracy” of its TCO2 analysis and processes. It also said it took seriously “the concerns expressed by some stakeholders”.

Happy outcome

The NHA went on to say: “To ensure the utmost precision, we are advancing our processes to measure TCO2 levels independently of pH and partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2). This adjustment will eliminate potential concerns related to relative humidity, barometric pressure and air temperature, continuing to provide an accurate reflection of each horse’s TCO2 levels. To further address any potential uncertainties and limit the occurrence of purported false positives, the NHA will henceforth and for the foreseeable future, withdraw a horse from a race if the TCO2 level is above 37 mmol/L.”

The previous upper limit was 36 mmol/L.

Since the above adjustments were made, there appear to have been no further positive returns. Stipes reports show that scores of horses have been tested at every meeting at every racing venue.

The tweaks seem to have had a happy outcome for everyone.