August 24, 2018
Racegoers who enjoy dressing to the various themes at Lee Park need to note the new approach that kicks off there on Saturday, September 8.
Participants will need to take a “selfie” photograph of themselves (or a group of friends) at the races, then upload your photo to either the Nanango Race Club’s Facebook page or Instagram before 3:00pm during the race day.
You then listen out for the announcement regarding the results or check the club’s Facebook page.
If your photo has been selected as a winner, you then call around to the Secretary’s office to collect your prize.
This time around, the Moffatdale Ridge Wines Fashion Theme is “50s Spring Florals”.
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Almost A Full Hand
Nanango trainer Glenn Richardson entered seven of the eight entries for Saturday’s Mount Machinery Maiden Plate at Roma.
He did not accept with Marrew Ronnie, Sunrise Gold and Seaview but still has Tenor Lass, Freeze de Beers, Miss Sidual and Navillus Stryker in the five horse field.
Meanwhile, Hannah English is experiencing a hectic period.
Nanango’s reigning premier rider booted home Burning Mountain ($21) for Patrick Sexton at Rockhampton on Thursday, and has bookings for Ipswich, Toowoomba and Beaudesert for the following three days.
Richardson, who landed a two-course double last Saturday at Klicoy and Gympie with El Venetian (Hannah English) and the old marvel Canid (Gary Geran), picked up fourth money at Rockhampton with Air To Spare ($31) and has candidates for Ipswich and Roma and nominations for Canid, El Venetian and Our Rock O’Reilly at Lismore on Tuesday
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Differing Approaches
The southern States have again taken varying stances on a matter that really needs uniform treatment across the nation.
On August 14, an article by Andrew Eddy on Racing Victoria’s official racing.com website stated:
“Integrity services manager Jamie Stier has indicated Racing Victoria is searching for alternative solutions to those put up by Racing NSW to deal with the potentially serious issue concerning the use of the progestagen altrenogest.
“On Monday, Racing NSW enacted a local rule so as to ensure racing mares such as the champion Winx are not caught up in a drug scandal in that State by ignoring ‘non-consequential’ levels of anabolic steroid trendione or trenbolone in pre- and post-race swabs for mares that have used products containing altrenogest.
“Both Racing NSW and RV believe recent positives to low levels of the steroid had their origins with the use of altrenogest.”
Stier told RSN927’s Racing Pulse program on Tuesday that he did not necessarily agree with the approach taken by Racing NSW, where the implementation of a local rule supersedes the national rule that totally bans anabolic steroids.
“My own view is people need to exercise some caution when implementing local rules that are potentially in conflict with national rules,” Stier said.
“Racing NSW have chosen to go down the path they have, and we will continue to work in trying to achieve the best outcome at the early possible time.”
Stier said RV has been aware of the potential problem with the use of altrenogest since the middle of June and was working hard to find the best solution.
“It was Racing Victoria who initially alerted the concerns regarding altrenogest and whether or not that substance also including trenbolone and trendione, which are anabolic steroids,” he said.
“So we needed to sit down and think about it logically given that anabolic steroids are banned substances, which means they are not permitted to be in the horse at any level at any time and we didn’t wish to have trainers inadvertently caught.
“So that was the basis on which we distributed our advice on June 19 to say that they should cease using products containing altrenogest immediately to allow us to do further work.”
Furthermore, RACENET’s Darryl Sherer (August 14) wrote:
“It’s a fair bet most punters have not heard of the substance altrenogest. However, it has the potential to have an impact on this year’s Melbourne spring carnival.
“Altrenogest is a synthetic reproductive hormone used to prevent females coming into season and is available in oral or injectable form, most commonly marketed under the brand name Regu-Mate.
“Among other claims, its makers Merck say Regu-Mate ‘Delivers safe, predictable control over a mare’s reproductive cycle’ and ‘Reduces undesirable mood and behavioural changes’.
“The use of Regu-Mate and other similar products has been widespread by trainers seeking to make fillies and mares more manageable, principally because it usually works.
“Half a ton of horse flesh reluctant to follow instruction or behave erratically is not a recipe for a happy trainer or the safety of staff or protection of punters.
“It is not, by any stretch of the imagination, a performance enhancer but more a therapeutic treatment.
“Peter Moody used Regu-Mate with Black Caviar and Lee Freedman attributed Makybe Diva’s third Melbourne Cup to the calming effect of the treatment.
“Under the Australian Rules of Racing, altrenogest is not a prohibited substance in females, however it is a prohibited substance in males and geldings and anabolic steroids became a banned substance under the Australian Rules of Racing in November 2013.”
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A Wee Woe For Waller
A Queensland Racing Integrity Commission stewards report, dated August 16, has indicated that Chris Waller, as the trainer of Invinzabeel, pleaded guilty to a charge of bringing “that horse to the Gold Coast Turf Club on May 17, 2018 to engage in an official trial following which a urine sample taken from that horse did upon analysis reveal the presence of a prohibited substance, namely Furosemide.”
In determining a penalty, stewards acknowledged the forthright evidence of Mr Waller and his staff, which included advising stewards immediately after the sample was taken that the horse had been administered a product containing Furosemide earlier that same morning.
Stewards also acknowledged that trainers in other Australian jurisdictions, in the absence of the Queensland local rule, are permitted to trial horses with the aid of Furosemide unless the horse is trialling to obtain a permit to race, pursuant to Australian Rule 177A.
Stewards were also mindful of similar penalty precedents and the potential integrity risks associated with trialling horses with the aid of Furosemide.
Mr Waller was find the sum of $1000 and advised of his right to an internal review.
Furosemide is often referred to as Lasix.
