On 3 July 2019, the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) heard an application for review lodged by licensed trainer-driver Tiana McMahon regarding a penalty decision of the Harness Racing Victoria (HRV) Racing Appeals and Disciplinary (RAD) Board on 7 March 2019.
On 7 March 2019, Ms McMahon pleaded guilty to a charge issued under Australian Harness Racing Rule 190(1) for presenting the horse ‘Blissfully Unaware’ to race at Shepparton on 1 November 2017 when not free of cobalt, a prohibited substance when present in urine at a concentration of greater than 100µg/L. Ms McMahon was issued with a 12-month suspension of both her training and driving licenses. The full HRV RAD Board media release can be found here.
In the VCAT decision on 3 July 2019, Senior Member Robert Davis set aside the HRV RAD Board decision and determined that Ms McMahon’s training license only should be suspended for period of 12 months to commence immediately. The full VCAT decision can be viewed here.