The Harness Racing Victoria (HRV) Stewards advise that Let It Ride NZ and Italian Delight NZ have been scratched from their engagements in the Pacers Inter Dominion tomorrow night at Ballarat under the provisions of Australian Harness Racing Rule (AHRR) 196B(3).
The scratchings relate to Mr Butt disclosing that an injection had been administered to Let It Ride NZ and Italian Delight NZ today, within one clear day of the race, for the purposes of extracting blood for analysis.
AHRR 196B states:
196B. (1) A person shall not without the permission of the Stewards within one (1) clear day of the commencement of a race administer, attempt to administer or cause to be administered an injection to a horse nominated for that race.
(2) For the purposes of this Rule -
(a) One clear day means the twenty four (24) hour period from 12.01 a.m. to 12 midnight;
(b) Administering an injection to a horse means the use of a hypodermic needle or other instrument to introduce or extract any substance from the horse;
(c) It is not necessary to establish whether any substance was injected or the nature of the substance injected.
(3) The Stewards shall order the withdrawal or disqualification of a horse that has been either administered or attempted to have been administered an injection in breach of sub-rule (1).
(4) A person who fails to comply with sub-rule (1) is guilty of an offence.
Given the mandatory nature of AHRR 196B(3) Stewards ordered that Let It Ride NZ and Italian Delight NZ be withdrawn from their engagements at Ballarat on 4 December 2018.
Mr Butt subsequently pleaded guilty to a charge under AHRR 196B(1) in that on 3 December 2018 he administered an injection to Let It Ride NZ and Italian Delight NZ, within one clear day of their engagement at Ballarat on 4 December 2018, without the permission of the Stewards.
In assessing penalty Stewards took into account the following factors:
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Mr Butt’s guilty plea and clear record;
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Mr Butt’s forthright evidence and admissions;
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Deterrence factors;
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The breach of the rule led to the scratching of the two runners;
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The injection was for the purposes of blood being extracted for analysis, as opposed to the introduction of a substance.
Stewards accordingly imposed a fine of $1,000.
Mr Butt was advised of his rights of appeal against the penalty imposed.
