David Thorn....1 winner in the past month!!!

[The Rainmaker]

I remember the same calmes made years ago when EPO was rumered to be around. But to my knowledge no one in harness racing has ever had an EPO positive.

Wrong.

As at 10/2009:

1. ALAN DONOHOE
Five charges for acting in a manner detrimental to the sport by administering EPO to five different horses: Schultz, Jimmy Jazzalong, Bailey Bromac, Disco Lemonade and Riverboat Rosie.
Penalty: Six-year disqualification.
Status: Appeal against penalty yesterday, reduced from six years to four years and six months.

2. JEREMY QUINLAN/
LARRY GRANTHAM
Three positive tests from pacer Em Maguane.
Penalties: Quinlan (trainer) disqualified for six years. Grantham (stable foreman who admitted administering the drug) disqualified for 13 years.
Status: Quinlan appeal to be heard at a date to be set. Grantham did not appeal.

3. AUSTIN MIFSUD
One positive test from an out-of-competition sample with pacer Julies Equity.
Status: Inquiry to be heard at date to be fixed.

4. PHILLIP WALTERS
One positive test from an out-of-competition sample with pacer Second Mortgage.
Status: Inquiry at a date to be fixed.

I honestly believe this will all eventuate to nothing. I really dought itpp in being used in Australian racing. It's just the same as its always been and the rumer mill keeps on spinning out the usual crap.

Wrong.

I have talked to a trainer and a owner in NSW who have been approached in the past to buy ITPP. I can tell you the stuff is not cheap, way above the means of a hobby trainer. The only blokes who can afford this are big time stables and big time punting stables. It is definitely out there.

HRNSW came out with an article a couple of months ago, stating that older swab samples would be frozen and retained for when a test becomes available to detect ITPP. I can guarantee HRNSW knows it is out there, and this was HRNSW's subtle way of telling these trainers to quit while the going is good.

[Flashing Red]

I posted on this thread yesterday with a post that was not in any way inflammatory can the moderator that removed it please private message me with the reason so I do not break the rules again.

It was me, nothing you said was wrong and you did not break the rules, it was more a couple of the replies/questions to you which I deleted. I believe you quoted one of the replies/questions so it was easier for me to mass delete. You did nothing wrong

[tiny]

Hi rainman I didn't know about these positives. Do you know if they were from frozen swabs from the period before the EPO test.
The point that I was trying to make is that any positive that comes from a frozen swab will be uncharted territory in legal terms and one that may be better left alone.

[Thevoiceofreason]

It was me, nothing you said was wrong and you did not break the rules, it was more a couple of the replies/questions to you which I deleted. I believe you quoted one of the replies/questions so it was easier for me to mass delete. You did nothing wrong

Sweet Thanks

[The Rainmaker]

Hi rainman I didn't know about these positives. Do you know if they were from frozen swabs from the period before the EPO test.
The point that I was trying to make is that any positive that comes from a frozen swab will be uncharted territory in legal terms and one that may be better left alone.

Hi tiny

As far as I know those EPO positives were from current testing (at that time), but I may be wrong.

In regards to the dated frozen swabs if a test becomes available for ITPP in future, personally I don't think it should be left alone, but I'm sure HRNSW and other relevant authorities probably share your view. Who decides how far they go back in time to test samples, and at what cost, which/whos samples get tested, and how many get tested?

It all becomes a bit messy. That's why I'm certain that the media release a couple of months ago from HRNSW in relation to testing for ITPP was a 'warning shot' to certain trainers to stop using it.

[Triple V]

I think it is now rather timely to note that the person who started this thread & all those who saw fit to pile on afterwards have as yet not been able to find it within themselves to revisit it & then acknowleged the fact that since the 14th of January, David has had 28 starters @ Menangle for no less than 10 winners and 9 placegetters (and this including instances where he has had 2 starters in the same event)
On that score, Michael Muscat driving as well as ever. Onya Mick! Impending married life is obviously doing you the world of good.

[ringman]

I think it is now rather timely to note that the person who started this thread & all those who saw fit to pile on afterwards have as yet not been able to find it within themselves to revisit it

I think being banned may have something to do with that .

[racefair]

I think it is now rather timely to note that the person who started this thread & all those who saw fit to pile on afterwards have as yet not been able to find it within themselves to revisit it & then acknowleged the fact that since the 14th of January, David has had 28 starters @ Menangle for no less than 10 winners and 9 placegetters (and this including instances where he has had 2 starters in the same event)
On that score, Michael Muscat driving as well as ever. Onya Mick! Impending married life is obviously doing you the world of good.

Hi Jamie, from memory some inferred that the introduction of the "2 hour On course arrival time" slowed a few local trainers such as David Thorn a little. This expired and went back to 1 hour on the 19th December 2011. see http://www.harnesslink.com/www/Article.cgi?ID=94625
You've made comment that the 2 hour arrival time didn't make a difference, however the statistics and many people including senior stewards disagree.

[Triple V]

I stand by those comments Jett however I think you've somewhat misrepresented what I said.
In terms of effectiveness I believe and have always believed that Pre Race testing...be it on the back of a 1hr or 2hrs pre race arrival, is largely a waste of time because it tends only to catch the needy, the greedy, the sloppy & occasionally, though I hesitate to use the term, the 'unlucky'.
It would no doubt be harder to beat the 2hrs pre race arrival than it would be to beat the 1hr requirement...no question, but from what I have read about & learned of the subject, IMO it is certainly not an impossibility.
On the other hand it is absolutely 100% stone cold impossible to beat a 2hrs Post Race TCO2 test. There's not a pre race buffer substance on this earth that would be effective come race time but unable to detected up to 2hrs afterwards.
In closing, there's not a lot of point in quoting the views of Snr. Stewards to me because, having banged away at this subject for more years than I care to remember I've found that, with one or two very notable exceptions, they tend to have a pretty sizeable knowledge vacuum as far as this subject is concerned.
It was not all that many years ago when I raised the subject of Post Race TC02 testing with a former Snr. Steward here in NSW that he looked at me rather blankly for a moment or two and then said..."Can they do that?".

[spurbuck]

Jett, people like you amuse me!
David has had prior to the last few weeks had a very ordinary bunch of horses in work and also had some time off himself. Now he has had his stable replenished with better horses coming back from the paddock.
But of course that wouldn't have anything to do with it would it!?!?!