Owner Disqualified For Life On Doping Charge

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27698, 30 June 1955, Page 14

Owner Disqualified For Life On Doping Charge

(New Zealand Press Association)

HAMILTON, June 29Disqualification for life was the penalty imposed on Sio Uluave, of Rotorua, by the Waikato District Racing Committee in Hamilton today on a charge of administering strychnine to a horse. A statement issued by, the commit“On June 29, 1955, the Waikato District Committee held an inquiry into charges preferred by the racecourse inspector, Mr C. Dudley, against Sio Uluave, of Rotorua. relating to the death of the mare, Farm Girl, at Rotorua on April 9, 1955. Farm Girl was owned by Uluave, subject to contingencies, and had been entered for the Ohinemutu Handicap at the meeting of the Rotorua Racing Club held on April 9. Mr E. D. Blundell appeared for M. Dudley and Mr N. Smith for Uluave. “Uluave pleaded guilty to a charge of committing a corrupt practice, in that at Rotorua on April 9 he administered a drug or stimulant, namely strychnine, for the purpose of affecting the speed, stamina, courage or conduct of the horse in the Ohinemutu Handicap. By reason of this plea other charges relating to the same circumstances were withdrawn.”

“In outlinining the facts. Mr Blundell said that the horse collapsed and died in a stall on the course approximately an hour before the start of the race. The stipendiary steward, Mr F. Wilson, applied for and obtained permission for a post-mortem, and this was carried out by Mr Thornbury. veterinary surgeon, later in the same day. Part of the stomach contents and of the liver of the horse were sent to Wellington for analysis by Mr Lawrence, the conference analyst. He found approximately two grains of strychnine in the stomach’ contents and a lesser quantity in the liver.” Hounds Poisoned “After the post-mortem on the horse, the meat was fed to the hounds of the Rotorua huntsman with no ill effect The entrails of the horse, however, had been put on a bone heap for burning, and before this was done some of them had been eaten by the hounds. As a result, two of the hounds died within two or three hours, and four others had been poisoned, but subsequently recovered. Parts of the stomachs of. the two dead hounds and of the entrails found on the bone heap were sent to the Government laboratory at Wallaceville for analysis, and a report on both was positive for strychnine.” “Uluave, when interviewed by Mi Dudley, at first denied any knowledge of how the horse had been poisoned. Inquiries made from a chemist established that approximately two weeks previous a mixture labelled as a horse tonic and containing 60 grains of strychnine had been given to the 12 year-old daughter of Uluave. The mixture was in a small bottle with no written instructions for its use, but the chemist stated that he believed that it would be mixed in a barrel of feed and fed to the horses over a long period.

“Following upon further investigations made by Mr Dudley and by another racecourse inspector, Uluave was seen again by Mr Dudley, and he

then signed a statement admitting that he had arranged for the mixture to be purchased and had given part of it to the horse an hour or so before the Ohinemutu Handicap was to be run. The horse had then been taken into the yard where it played up and attempted to bite other horses. It wa« taken back into its box and there died. He had obtained the formula a short time previously from some person whose name he did not know, but who had told him it would make the horse go faster.” “It was emphasised by counsel for both parties that there was nothing to suggest that the trainer of the horse, R. J. Campbell, had any knowledge of or was implicated in the matter Tn any way. He was absent from Roto* rua at the material time.” Large Dose “Mr Lawrence gave brief evidence regarding his analysis and the positive, finding of strychnine. In his opinion, the horse must have been given a large dose of strychnine, probably sufficient to kill more than one horse. He thought this must have been given about one hour before death. “Mr Lawrence explained that the quantity of strychnine, he recovered would be many times greater than could be recovered from a saliva swab or the urine samples sent him in the case of live horses. According to the authorities, one to one and a half grains of strychnine was a lethal dose for an adult, and three to four and a half grains a lethal dose for a horse. •

“In asking for lenient treatment for Uluave. Mr N. Smith emphasised that on a consideration of all the circumstances the breach of the rules wag not as grave as appeared, and less culpable than in other cases which had come before the committee.” “Uluave was an islander, poorlv educated and obviously dealing with a substance the dangerous qualities of which he was unaware. There was no evidence of a systematic Uluave was entitled to consideration by having pleaded guilty and thus saving considerable time and expense. As an owner of four horses he would suffer an additional and substantial monetary penalty if the committee did not exercise its powers under the rules to allow him time to sell the hurseg before any disqualification on him applied automatically to them. He urged, under the circumstances, that time would be allowed. “The finding of the District Committee was: That Sio Uluave be disqualified for life, and that he be allowed until July 31, 1955, to dispose of his horses. Trainer Not Implicated “The committee further resolved: “(1) The District Committee records that there was nothing in the evidence suggesting that the trainer of Farm Girl. R. J. Campbell, was implicated in any way. “(2) Arising out of the evidence given at the inquiry, the District Committee records its concern at the apparent ease with which substantial quantities of a deadly poison may be purchased. “The District Committee comprised Messrs J. C. Pollock (chairman), F. H. Baker, H. P. Duncan. E. Latrobe Hill, W. T. Luxton, E. Johnston, H. Moreland, J. A. Guinness, G. J. Peach, and P. G. Vercoe.”