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Thread: Are Enough Pre-Race Swabs Being Taken?

  1. #1
    Super Moderator Stallion Messenger will become famous soon enough Messenger's Avatar
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    Thumbs down Are Enough Pre-Race Swabs Being Taken?

    If you look at the Stewards Reports you will see it is not unusual for only 2 pre-race swabs to be taken for a whole meet in Vic

    Pre race swabs are virtually the only way to detect bicarb administered pre race by tubing (unless a horse is kept back 3hrs after racing for a swab)

    You would think we should be doing way more than 2.
    I would think at least 1 horse every race like we generally do for Metro meets

    The Bendigo meet on Mar 27 for which Hanging On A Dream was a late scratching and for which Jennifer Douglas was later disqualified had 97 starters and only 2 pre-race swabs

    http://www.harness.org.au/NEWS/news2...20Release1.pdf

    If she had not be caught at her stables, there was only about a 2% chance she was going to be caught with a pre-race swab at the track

    https://www.harness.org.au/racing/st...l/?mc=BN270319

    https://www.harness.org.au/racing/fi...s/?mc=BN270319
    per un PUGNO di DOLLARI

  2. #2
    Senior Member Horse Of The Year arlington will become famous soon enough
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    This one's going to VCAT courtesy of the stewards. Harsher penalty might be a cheaper way around than the fear factor of (only a couple of) pre race not being enough deterrent. Although, point taken but was there any suggestion alkalisers were used? That horse would have(?) been tested as well as the equipment(?).

    It would seem some people are pretty adept at bicarb non detection irrespective of prerace swabs. The three hour option might catch more than pre race. But I can feel the wrath now.

  3. #3
    Senior Member Horse Of The Year gutwagon will become famous soon enough gutwagon's Avatar
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    How about getting a few more stewards that just show up randomly at stables on race day mornings and observe the horses until they get to the track. Especially the stables with multiple runners.
    Don't die wondering !

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    Super Moderator Stallion Messenger will become famous soon enough Messenger's Avatar
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    Sounds good to me Rick

    I had a poster email me the 4 runners he thought they would swab at Shep last night.
    They only pre-swabbed 3 and he got them all right
    If he can guess that - couldn't other trainers guess too?
    per un PUGNO di DOLLARI

  5. #5
    Senior Member Horse Of The Year gutwagon will become famous soon enough gutwagon's Avatar
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    I also notice that trainers that have arguments with stewards seem to get swabbed more often. Of course that's just a coincidence.
    Don't die wondering !

  6. #6
    aussiebreno
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    Quote Originally Posted by gutwagon View Post
    I also notice that trainers that have arguments with stewards seem to get swabbed more often. Of course that's just a coincidence.
    Chicken or the egg

  7. #7
    Super Moderator Stallion Messenger will become famous soon enough Messenger's Avatar
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    Does anybody else think this is just another cost cutting measure in Vic?
    per un PUGNO di DOLLARI

  8. #8
    Super Moderator Stallion Messenger will become famous soon enough Messenger's Avatar
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    Somebody has shown me that there was a pre-race swab every race in Vic until this financial year
    The fact that the change to just 2 or 3 a meet, corresponds to the financial year would very much suggest it is a budgetary measure
    Are we spending less on Integrity?
    I suppose there is a possibility that they are spending it on some other integrity measure
    Anybody out there that would like to fill us in?
    per un PUGNO di DOLLARI

  9. #9
    Junior Member Weanling pards will become famous soon enough
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    absolutely ,and when something improves about 50 yards ,how about keeping them back 4 hours

  10. #10
    Senior Member Horse Of The Year arlington will become famous soon enough
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    Pretty sure we've never had a pre race swab in every race in Vic Kev. A quick flick through the results pages, meetings at random during 17/18, shows we didn't last year. What resource did you use to confirm?

    What did happen was post race swabs dropped by nearly 50% during the previous nine or ten years under the previous CEO. I don't think there was a significant pre race regime in place during that period.

    As far as funding integrity measures, from memory, a $3mil grant was sought and given to HRV from the state government in 2017 to double swab rates amongst other integrity improvements.
    As far as funding integrity now and into the future, that is a concern, along with all expenditure needed. I haven't noticed what might be a decrease in integrity measures due to budgetary constraints thus far but with the employment of additional personnel and skill sets there could be a different approach to catching out cheats. In the case of the infringement highlighted in this thread, I believe the integrity department acted on a lead.

    Even if pre raced swabbed as part of the 2 or 3% there's no guarantee a result similar to the stable visit would have occurred. If pre race's were that successful why do some participants continue to stomach tube in breach of the rules?

    Would pre race's have caught out Aquanita?

    Similar to Rick, increase in steward stable visits and more out of comp testing might have more of an overall impact than more pre race swabs.

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