Racing Victoria (RV) Stewards, subsequent to their investigation, have issued the following charges against Danny O’Brien, as the trainer of Princeofcambridge (the Horse), under Australian Rules of Racing 240(2) and 104(1).
Charge One:
AR 240 Prohibited substance in sample taken from horse at race meeting
(2) Subject to subrule (3), if a horse is brought to a racecourse for the purpose of participating in a race and a prohibited substance on Prohibited List A and/or Prohibited List B is detected in a sample taken from the horse prior to or following its running in any race, the trainer and any other person who was in charge of the horse at any relevant time breaches these Australian Rules.
The particulars of the charge are summarised as follows:
- On 22 February 2024, the Horse was brought to the Sportsbet Pakenham Racecourse and was engaged to race in Race 5, the G’Day Ink Tattoo Studio Pakenham Handicap, over 1600 metres (the Race). Prior to the commencement of the Race, the meeting was abandoned due to weather conditions.
- On 22 February 2024, a pre-race blood sample was taken from the Horse (the Sample).
- An analysis of the Sample detected the presence of Triamcinolone Acetonide.
- Triamcinolone Acetonide is a prohibited substance pursuant to Division 1 of Part 2 of Schedule 1 (Prohibited List B) of the Australian Rules of Racing.
- The presence of Triamcinolone Acetonide was detected in the Sample by Racing Analytical Services Limited and by Australian Racing Forensic Laboratory.
Triamcinolone is a long-acting synthetic corticosteroid used in horses as an anti-inflammatory. It is available in a variety of formulations and in horses is often injected intra-articularly (into a joint). Triamcinolone is a prescription animal remedy, and in the case of an intra-articular administration, must be administered by a veterinarian.
Charge 2:
AR 104(1) Trainers must keep treatment records
(1) A trainer must record any medication or treatment administered to any horse in the trainer’s care by midnight on the day on which the administration was given.
A summary of the particulars of the charge are as follows:
- On 8 February 2024, Mr O’Brien’s treatment records did not contain all medications or treatments administered to a horse under his care as required by AR 104(1).
The charges issued against Mr O’Brien will be heard before the Victorian Racing Tribunal on a date to be fixed.