Anomalous situation in swabbing to be scrutinised

Press, 19 February 1987, Page 28

Anomalous situation in swabbing to be scrutinised

By

G. K. YULE

The anomalous situation between horses returning positive swabs and those swabbed in qualifying trials is to come under scrutiny once more at the next meeting of the executive of the Trotting Conference to be held in Christchurch in March. Last week it was announced that Cinimod Junior had returned a positive swab after winning the Wellington Cup on January 14. He can continue racing until all hearings resulting from the positive swab have been resolved.

However, in the case of a horse being swabbed after recording the required qualifying time, it cannot receive a qualifying certificate enabling it to be nominated for a totalisator race until such time as a negative return is received.

The chief executive officer of the Trotting Conference, Mr lan Mill, said it was seldom that a horse was swabbed after meeting the qualifying criteria, and usually returns were received in 16 days.

The regulation providing for a qualifying ticket not to be Issued until a swab had been cleared was introduced more than 18 years ago after a legal ruling on problems which might arise had been considered by the executive, said Mr Mill.

There was a case where a horse won a race between the time when a swab taken from it had returned a positive test and the hearing of charges.

Under the rules the horse was returned to the unqualified category after the inquiry, but problems arose over de-

daring the win null and void.

"Legal opinion was that the regulation should remain in force,** said Mr Mill.

He agreed that there was nothing to stop a two or a three-year-old racing in a major classic between the . time of a positive swab being declared from a qualifying trial and the hearing of any charges which might be laid. In the case of Cinimod Junior, t|ie only possible loss of stake, should charges be sustained and he is disqualified from the Wellington Cup, would be the $18,756 attached to that event The $48,750 he will receive once the swab taken on Saturday night is declared negative will not be affected; nor will any money he might win before all proceedings involving the positive swab have ended.