Black Caviar’s trainer Peter Moody has been convicted but escaped penalty over a positive urine swab taken from one of his horses in May.
The Racing Appeals and Disciplinary Board, chaired by Judge Russell Lewis, on Tuesday found that contaminated feed was responsible for the Moody-trained gelding Lethal Arrow testing positive to the prohibited substance Oripavine after winning at Pakenham on May 17.
Oripavine is an opioid narcotic analgesic substance which may act as a stimulant in a horse.
“Samples obtained during the investigation from the stables upon analysis contained traces of Oripavine,” Kane Ashby, Racing Victoria’s manager of compliance and regulations, said.
Stewards had been unable to determine whether Lethal Arrow had ingested Oripavine in contaminated feed or the prohibited substance had been deliberately administered.
Moody, who appeared on his own behalf, pleaded guilty to presenting Lethal Arrow at the races with a prohibited substance having been detected in a urine swab.
He has won the Melbourne trainers’ premiership the last two seasons.
The Moody stable will be represented by King’s Rose in Saturday’s Group One $3 million Cox Plate at Moonee Valley, while unbeaten champion sprinter Black Caviar will be after her 15th successive win the Group Two Schweppes Stakes.
Lethal Arrow was disqualified as winner of the Schweppes 0-68 Hcp (1300m) at Pakenham and the places were amended with the race being awarded to Quadruple.
AAP TURF
