Stewards News 2

[Showgrounds]

Disqualification of the horses they drive is the only way I believe. That or do away with whips altogether.

My stance has hardened considerably since the reprehensible actions in the Tasmanian Championship and previous penalties against that winning driver.

[Adaptor]

26 March 2021 - Ms Amanda Turnbull – HRNSW Stewards have commenced an investigation in relation to a report from the Australian Racing Forensic Laboratory (ARFL) that Triamcinolone Acetonide had been detected in the pre-race blood sample taken from WHOS MY MOTHER NZ prior to it running in race 3, the CORDINA FOOD CO NSW OAKS HEAT 1 (2400 metres) conducted at Menangle on Saturday 20 February 2021. The “B” sample has been confirmed by Racing Analytical Services LTD (RASL) in Victoria. The investigation is continuing.

https://www.harness.org.au/media-roo...?news_id=47657

Others listed: Morris, Wade, Hewitt, Russo

[DRUIDRACING]

take 2.... 15/2/18 Amanda Turnbull

[Messenger]

take 2.... 15/2/18 Amanda Turnbull

From 2018

The tribunal found that Turnbull wasn’t blameless in the incident but seemed to indicate that a fine would have been a more appropriate penalty.

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/racing/...17-p4z4ty.html

So you would think that she is not going to have much to worry about this time either

This was the 2017 race that it related to

http://www.harness.org.au/racing/fie...17#DUC15111709

[Showgrounds]

From 2018

The tribunal found that Turnbull wasn’t blameless in the incident but seemed to indicate that a fine would have been a more appropriate penalty.

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/racing/...17-p4z4ty.html

So you would think that she is not going to have much to worry about this time either

This was the 2017 race that it related to

http://www.harness.org.au/racing/fie...17#DUC15111709

So, she has not learnt a thing has she. Still having her horses injected, by her vet (or others), with corto steroids under the assumption that it is only illegal if you get caught.

How does she keep getting away with it? I was not aware of the 2018 inquiry. I am aware that she miraculously had charges against her dropped while boyfriend Nathan Jack, Mark Pitt and Lisa Bartley were found guilty of race fixing in the Shepparton Magistrates Court for their misdeeds in the infamous Airbornemagic race at Cobram. And I am painfully aware that she entrusted her horses to Jack to race in South Australia in December. South Australian stewards have dealt with the discredited Jack. When Jack was caught out training the horses SA stewards publicly stated Turnbull would be charged. What has happened? Nothing it seems!

Amanda Turnbull is a protected species. Could it be she is protected by people in high places who are not acknowledging their conflict of interests? Maybe.

The use of this particular steroid is fraught with danger for vets and mug trainers because they can easily stuff up the withholding period. The drug, in its injectable form, is for treatment of dematological and arthritic conditions in dogs, cats and horses. It seems to be widely used but the fact remains it is a steroid and you should pay the penalty if your horse is swabbed in competition with the drug in its system. No excuse, goodbye Amanda.

[Messenger]

Trevor this was her saviour last time

The substance was supposedly given by a vet and recorded by Turnbull in her treatment book, with instructions about a suggested withholding period followed.

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/racing/...17-p4z4ty.html

And I would not be surprised to hear something similar again, so there would seem to be a problem in our sport - when a trainer is following veterinary advice

It is a steroid like many of the treatments we humans use
I believe it requires a penalty but I don't have as big a problem with it as I would if it was shown that the horse did not need treatment and the use of the drug was to enhance performance

[Showgrounds]

Sorry to disagree Kev. It is a performance enhancer if it has turned up in a swab, you can be sure of that. HRNSW pretty well spelt that out two years ago.

https://www.harness.org.au/media-roo...nkews_id=39451

It will also be interesting to see the outcome of KerryAnn Morris's positive to levamisole. I've sold plenty of levamisole products over the years for worming chooks, birds, sheep and cattle for round and tape worms. If it is found in a horse's swab it has been administered off-label. All named levamisole products registered with the AVPMA are either oral or pour-on drenches. It is NOT approved for use on horses. Apart from having narrow safety levels in horses it is thought to, or known to, metabolize into other performance enhancing substances in horses.

I suspect it masks these substances, which is why it is banned.

David Aiken copped a $5000 fine in 2018 after one of his horses returned a positive to levamisole at Shepparton trials. HRNSW issued a Notice to Industry pointing out the fact that levamisole is a class 1 drug and is banned and carries a MANDATORY 5 year disqualification. No doubt the KerryAnn / Peters Jr & And Morris defence will cite Aiken's fine as a more suitable penalty but if HRNSW notified all licences it is 5 years then it should be 5 years. It will be interesting to see how the image-senstive HRNSW handles a matter involving one of it's poster children.

And Amanda will, no doubt, be thumbing through the pages of the crooked trainers' encyclopaedia of implausible excuses. Lightning does strike twice around her stable.