Another year of strong QRIC presence at Toowoomba Weetwood

Tomorrow’s April 6 Toowoomba Weetwood Handicap is seen as the introduction to Queensland’s Winter Racing Carnival, and the Queensland Racing Integrity Commission (QRIC) will be out in force to support the integrity of the race.

An annual presence at the event, QRIC’s Integrity Investigations Team (IIT) has again carried out a series of pre-race testing and will deliver pre-race swabs on race day, with all winners to be tested and random testing also being carried out as required.

QRIC Commissioner Ross Barnett said QRIC’s strong presence ahead of and at the event will ensure that racing events are run on a level playing field.

“The betting public and racing participants should be confident that we will be out in force with staff and resources on this important race day,” Mr Barnett said.

“The commencement of the Winter Carnival in Queensland thoroughbred racing at Toowoomba’s Clifford Park has again attracted a highly competitive racing program and the integrity of every one of those races is a high priority for QRIC.”

This year, in preparation for the Weetwood Handicap the IIT has:

  • attended Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Doomben, Eagle Farm, Ipswich, Deagon, Toowoomba and Darling Downs areas;
  • attended the Warwick Cup race day on 2 April 2019 and conducted stable inspections, licence checks and checking horses nominated to race onto the track;
  • attended track work and official trials at Deagon and Clifford Park; conducting licence compliance checks and completing human drug sampling;
  • attended Doomben race day on 3 April 2019 and conducted stable inspections, checking horses nominated to race onto the track;
  • attended Ipswich race day on 4 April 2019 and conducted stable inspections, licence checks and checking horses nominated to race onto the track; and
  • attended Corbould Park on 5 April 2019 and conducted stable inspections, licence checks and checking horses nominated to race onto the track.

Commissioner Barnett said the presence of integrity officers at high profile race meetings in the days leading up to the race and on race day itself was an important role for the QRIC to ensure the integrity of racing in Queensland.

ENDS.