Mr Brett Hutchings - Inquiry Conculded

Harness Racing New South Wales (HRNSW) Stewards have concluded an Inquiry into the following matters:

• A report received from the Australian Racing Forensic Laboratory (ARFL) that benzoylecgonine was detected in the urine sample taken from FRONTIER following its win in race 7, the ORANA WOOL & SCRAP METAL PACE (1720 metres) conducted at Dubbo on Friday 14 June 2024;

The reserve portion and control solution were confirmed by Racing Analytical Services Limited (RASL) in Victoria.

• A report received from RASL that cocaine metabolites Ecgonine methylester and Benzoylecgonine were detected in a urine sample obtained from Mr Brett Hutchings at the Parkes harness meeting on Friday 12 July 2024.

The reserve portion was confirmed by ARFL.

The Inquiry was conducted by written correspondence. Mr Hutchings pleaded guilty to three (3) charges issued by HRNSW Stewards as follows:

Charge 1-    Issued pursuant to Australian Harness Racing Rule (AHRR) 190 (1), (2) & (4) which states:

AHRR 190.  (1)  A horse shall be presented for a race free of prohibited substances.

(2)  If a horse is presented for a race otherwise than in accordance with sub-rule (1) the trainer of the horse is guilty of an offence.

(3)  If a person is left in charge of a horse and the horse is presented for a race otherwise than in accordance with sub-rule (1), the trainer of the horse and the person left in charge is each guilty of an offence.

(4)  An offence under sub-rule (2) or sub-rule (3) is committed regardless of the circumstances in which the prohibited substance came to be present in or on the horse.

Charge 2-                  Issued pursuant to AHRR 250(1)(a) which states:

AHRR 250.  (1)  A driver commits an offence if:-

(a)  A sample taken from him is found upon analysis to contain a substance banned by Rule 251, or

(b)  He refuses or fails to deliver a sample as directed by the Stewards, or tampers with, adulterates, alters, substitutes or in any way hinders the collection of such sample or attempts to do any of those things.

Charge 3-    Issued in the alternative to Charge 2 and pursuant to AHRR 250A(1)(a) which states:

AHRR 250A.  (1)  A person carrying on or purporting to carry on an activity regulated by licence at any time or carrying on official duties at a meeting commits an offence if:

(a)  a sample taken from him or her is found upon analysis to contain a substance banned by Rule 251A, or

(b)  he or she refuses or fails to deliver a sample as directed by the Stewards, or tampers with, adulterates, alters, substitutes or in any way hinders the collection of such sample or attempts to do any of those things.

HRNSW Stewards considered penalty submissions provided on behalf of Mr Hutchings and imposed the following penalties:

Charge 1-      Two (2) years and six (6) months disqualification to commence following the suspension imposed in relation to Charge 2, being from 14 February 2025 until 14 August 2027;

Charge 2-    Six (6) months suspension of all licences from 13 August 2024, the date upon which Mr Hutchings was stood down by HRNSW Stewards pursuant to AHRR 183 until 13 February 2025;

Charge 3-    HRNSW Stewards did not proceed to the matter of penalty in relation to this charge, at this time.

In consideration of an appropriate penalty, HRNSW Stewards were mindful of the following:

• The circumstances involved in these matters;
• Mr Hutchings’ licence history, offence record, Training/Driving records as a licensed person since 1999;
• Mr Hutchings’ personal and financial subjective facts;
• Mr Hutchings first offences of this nature;
• Class 1 Prohibited Substance;
• Mr Hutchings’ guilty pleas;
• Mr Hutchings contribution to the Parkes Harness Racing Club both as a committee member and the track curator for the past 10 years

Mr Hutchings was informed of his right to appeal these decisions of the HRNSW Stewards.

Pursuant to AHRR 195, the horse FRONTIER was disqualified from the abovementioned race.

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