Dope scandal trainer barred

Press, 16 January 1988, Page 33

Dope scandal trainer barred

NZPA-AAP Sydney The Newcastle trainer, Gary Rafter, was disqualified for three years by Australian Jockey Club stewards at Thursday’s elephant juice inquiry into the doping of Choc Daily. Rafter pleaded not guilty to the charge of failing to take adequate precautions to ensure that the prohibitive drug, etorphine, commonly known as elephant juice, was not administered to Choc Daily. The mare was disqualified from her win in the Arthur Young. Handicap (1500 m at Rosehill on November 28 and the new placings were awarded to Lady Liberty, Phoenix Dragon and Short Black. Rafter’s disqualification comes after the 20-year sentence handed down by Perth stewards to controversial trainer, George Way, 12 months ago in the country’s first elephant juice scandal. Way was given 15 years after pleading guilty to administering etamorphine to two of his gallop-

ers and a further five after batteries were found in his stables. Rafter said he would appeal against the charge and the severity of his conviction.

“I have had a good track record in the 11 years I’ve been training. It’s my sole occupation and I have a wife and two children to support,” he said.

“It hasn’t been established when the drug was administered and the horse was looked after from the time my stable was opened at 4 a.m. until she was taken to the races.” The A.J.C. chief steward, John Schreck, conceded the stewards did not know precisely when the drug was administered.

“But the precautions you (Rafter) took were not adequate because the horse was drugged. The facts speak for themselves, there were drugs in the horse’s system somehow,” said Mr Schreck.