“It’s clear the industry doesn’t want me – so I just have to move on now.”
As reported on Punters.com, that was Ben Currie’s response to the news that his eighteen-month disqualification, handed down by stewards, had being reduced to a nine-month disqualification by the Queensland’s Racing Appeals Panel.
Currie has clashed with Queensland stewards on numerous occasions over the years … the difference in this latest saga being that he was not the trainer of End Assembly who won the Listed Gold Edition Plate back in December before being disqualified after testing positive to cocaine.
Currie held a stable-hand license and was working for his father, trainer Mark Currie, on the race-day in question (Mark Currie was not in attendance at the meeting), but that didn’t save Ben Currie from receiving a body-blow of a penalty.
Mark Currie was originally fined $15 000 and, similarly, had that penalty reduced Queensland’s Racing Appeals Panel … from $15000 to $10 000.
Ben Currie had been hoping to have his penalty reduced a fine, and reportedly had been looking to return to training in his own right in the near future, but, after this latest finding, that option has been removed from the table … for now … leaving the thirty-two-year old having to reconsider his future.
