Six-month disqualification for TCO2 breach
Queensland Racing Integrity Commission (QRIC) Stewards have disqualified Brisbane harness racing trainer Heather Warland for six months after a horse she trained breached the prescribed TCO2 threshold.
The analysts found that a pre-race blood sample taken from the standardbred Royal Icing before it competed at Redcliffe last month was over the limit.
Stewards said the six-month penalty should serve as a deterrent to illustrate that drug free racing is of paramount importance to the integrity of harness racing.
Racing Integrity Commissioner Ross Barnett said the QRIC Integrity Investigations Team (IIT) and stewards regularly carry out pre-race testing for TCO2 levels as elevated levels continue to be an integrity issue in both equine codes of racing.
“Racing participants should be aware we are out there testing, and their practises are being scrutinised so if they are breaking the rules they will be caught,” he said.
The Commission is currently trialling the publishing of TCO2 levels on its website identifying those horses that have recorded a TCO2 reading above 35.1 mmol/L. The levels remain online for 28 days from the publishing date.
ENDS.
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