RWITC disagrees with trainers - By Shailendra Awasthi I TNN
Posted on - 29 Aug 2011
RWITC disagrees with trainers
By Shailendra Awasthi TNN
Pune: The Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC) has turned down trainers’ appeal of treating drug cases detected at pre-race sampling differently than those reported in the normal course after horses have run a race. Five horses, two belonging to trainer Vinayak and three of Shyam Habbu, were caught at random sampling when the horses had arrived from outside stables to racecourse premises recently.
“There is a difference in pointing a gun at somebody and actually shooting him,” said Magan Singh Jodha, president of the Western India Trainers’ Association. “Any trainer whose horses have been caught after the race can be suspended as it may have caused a loss to the racing public. But horses which were found positive days before they race, a monetary fine should be imposed on their trainer and they should not be suspended simply because there is no betting involved,” demanded Jodha while leading a delegation of trainers before the stewards.
Jodha claimed that stewards suddenly changed the rule in the middle of the season without even consulting them. “They had monetary fine rules in place for horses caught at random sampling but now they are saying that pre-race cases will be dealt on par with after-race offences,” said Jodha. “If that’s the case, then simply do away with pre race sampling and punish someone only if his horse is caught after the race.”
RWITC chairman Vivek Jain, however, defends stewards’ decision. “The use of anabolic steroids like boldenone is banned in racing. It’s a de-classified substance while there are other drugs which are classified and are treated as normal medication infringement. So for anabolic steroids, we want similar punishment be given to trainers irrespective of their horses caught at random sampling or after the races simply because it’s a banned drug,” he said.
Jain said the club may issue a circular clarifying the entire issue. “However, inprinciple, stewards feel that detection of anabolic drug should attract the same punishment irrespective of what stage it is caught. The quantum of punishment should be completely left to stewards’ discretion,” informed Jain.
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