Rockhampton trainers Ricky Vale and Jared Whelow have been fined after traces of an anti inflammatory, dexamethasone, were found in urine swabs taken from horses in their care.
A Racing Queensland stewards inquiry heard dexamethasone was detected in samples taken from the Whelow-trained Mishnah at Rockhampton meetings on January 31 and February 14.
Whelow pleaded not guilty to two charges of bringing a horse to race with a prohibited substance in its system.
Stewards took evidence from Whelow and the Racing Science Centre and the Australian Racing Forensic Laboratory.
After taking into account Whelow’s previously unblemished record stewards fined him $3000 on each charge and Mishnah was disqualified from both races.
Vale faced a similar charge after dexamethasone was found in a urine sample from Now Ask Me at Rockhampton on May 11.
After stewards took evidence from the RSC and ARF, Vale pleaded not guilty.
Stewards found him guilty, fined him $5000 and disqualified Now Ask Me.
Both trainers have the option to ask for internal reviews of the decisions.
