Racing and Wagering Western Australia (RWWA) stewards concluded the inquiry into a report from ChemCentre in Perth and the Australian Racing Forensic Laboratory (NSW) that 6a-methylprednisolone (Depo-medrol) has been detected in the post-race urine sample taken from Advantage after it had competed in, and won, Race 6 at Pinjarra on 18 March 2024.
After hearing evidence from trainers Greg and Skye Bond, ChemCentre representative Dr A Nolan, RWWA Regulatory Veterinarian Dr C McMullen and RWWA Senior Steward Mr M Vickers, Mr and Mrs Bond pleaded guilty to the following charge:
HRR 190 (1) (2) (4) Presentation Free of Prohibited Substances
Particulars being:
“that you Mr Greg and Mrs Skye Bond, both licensed trainers and training in partnership, presented the 4-year-old pacer Advantage to race at Pinjarra on 18 March 2024, where the gelding raced and won Race 6, not free of the prohibited substance 6a- methylprednisolone.”
Stewards determined to impose a fine of $6000.
Further, acting under the provisions of HR 195, Advantage was disqualified from the race in question, with placings amended accordingly and relevant adjustments to prizemoney to apply.
When determining penalty, stewards considered, among other things:
- Mr and Mrs Bond’s guilty pleas and forthright manner in addressing this inquiry.
- The Bond training partnership’s record in relation to the prohibited substance rules which shows previous breaches to arsenic, which was attributed to the ingestion of CCA treated timber, and a therapeutic substance relating to an official trial (2021).
- The nature of the prohibited substance which is classified as a therapeutic.
- The circumstances of the administration of the detected substance which involved veterinary supervision and treatment.
- Mr and Mrs Bond’s personal circumstances.
- Precedence in relation to past therapeutic cases.