ALLEGED DOTING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18468, 3 August 1923, Page 12

ALLEGED DOTING.

VICTORIAN RACECOURSES.

SOME SUSPICIOUS ; CASES.

SUPPOSED GANG : AT WORE.

Strong suspicions are - entertained 1 '• by the trainer :of ' Gunroom, ;C. : Cooper, that the mare was the victim of doping before going out to compete in the Malvina Weiter, the last race at Caulfield, on Saturday .Week, says the Melbourne representative of the Sydney ' Morning Herald. Gunroom was quietly fancied by Cooper and her owner, Mr.; H. -A. Hay, as she had run a good race at Flemington a fortnight earlier, and had : galloped, well in the interim.',' It came as a great shock ?to them to see the mare . finish second last. R. Lewis, who -rode Gunroom, ; subsequently informed Cooper that the mare went • all right for about half-a-mile, and attempted to run off the track.v? After the race Gunroom was wild with excitement, and almost unmanageable, while- her eves were dilated.: Convinced that something /had - happened 1 to "■ her, Cooper hurried Gunroom to ■ Mr. S. O. Wood's veterinary hospital .which is close to the racecourse. Mr. Wood examined, the mare, and though unable to state definitely then what was the cause of her condition, he informed • Cooper that she showed all the symptoms of having had I a strong injection of cocaine. Mr. Wood I took samples „ : of Gunroom's saliva, and [ these will be handed to the chairman of |.the V,;R.C., stipendiary stewards, to be j submitted to the Government analyst for l analysis. - . '.',;'. ' ■ v ' ... m Recent, happenings indicate without doubt that there is a gang _of ; r men en- : gaged in the - malicious : doping of racehorses =oh Melbourne, racecourses. r- : A j few weeks ago Santa Anna was ' evidently attacked by a "." deper " before running in a race at Sandown : Park, for which she was a hot favourite* only to fail badly. Mr. Wood describes the cases of | Gunroom and Santa Anna as being much alike. • . <- V Another case in which; the horse affected ; showed similar symptoms occurred at the last Ascot meeting, when the Red Denis pony, * Lady Norman, after finishing second to Genatus, developed J a highly excited state, her behaviour being similar 1 to that of Santa Anna and Gunroom. Captain,; at the . Bendigo May meeting, was another instanee in which doping was suspected by the horse's trainer, Captain's symptoms being like those of the other horses. ':", : . '.:,.■.-' /- ,