Toowoomba trainer Ben Currie’s time on the sidelines continues to grow after another three-year disqualification, taking his total punishment to 7-1/2 years.
The combined sentence is the largest imposed on any trainer who has not been warned off for life in Queensland history.
Racing Queensland stewards last week found Currie guilty on five charges involving bringing horses to race with prohibited substances in their systems.
Sentence was adjourned until Friday when Currie was disqualified for three years and fined $45,000 on the five charges.
Wicked Trilogy was found with meloxicam in her system on December 2, 2017 when she raced at Kilcoy, Shakira was found to have testosterone in excess of the accepted concentration in her system when she raced on January 28, 2018 at Toowoomba, and Karaharaga was found to have 17-methylmorphinan-3-ol in his system when he raced on July 6, 2018 at Rockhampton.
Dreamscope was found to have cocaine and benzolecgonine in his system when he raced at Toowoomba on September 16, 2018 and Eight Over was found to have cocaine, methylecgonine and benzolecgonine in his system when he raced on February 2, this year at Toowoomba.
Currie will serve his new sentence of three years disqualification cumulatively with his previous sentences which total 4-1/2 years.
He has previously been disqualified for two years for causing race day treatment and two-and-a-half years for two charges of improper action following an investigation into text messages relating to the intention to use an electronic apparatus capable of affecting the performance of two horses.
Currie has already indicated he will seek an internal review and if necessary appeals in the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
Currie has not had a runner in Queensland since May 2 when Racing Queensland refused his nominations.
He still leads the state trainers’ premiership with 134 winners.
