With two possible stewards’ inquiries hanging over over him, trainer Darryl Hansen hopes to make headlines for the right reasons with Aladah at Doomben on Saturday.
Hansen is scheduled to front a stewards’ inquiry next week following a swab irregularity returned by Hussonator following the mare’s Mackay Cup (1800m) win on July 9.
Hussonator subsequently won the Townsville Cup (2100m) last Saturday.
Her swab irregularity to TCO2 (bicarb) came in a pre-race blood test in which two separate results showed a marked difference in their reading levels.
In a further shock, Hansen has been informed Essington, his Newmarket Handicap winner at Rockhampton on June 23, has also returned a swab abnormality.
Hansen is confident of clearing his name at next Thursday’s inquiry into the Hussonator swab discrepancy but is dumbfounded by the Essington sample result.
Stewards are awaiting tests results on Essington’s second sample before confirming whether it is a positive swab.
“I’m not worried about the Hussonator inquiry as one of the samples came back under the threshold so I shouldn’t have a case to answer,” Hansen said.
“But I’m gobsmacked by the Essington sample.
“I’ve been told the Essington discrepancy came from a cream but the horse is as sound as a bell and I never use anything on him.
“I vow I’ll clear my name and I don’t care if I spend $1 million to do it. I’m not guilty.”
Essington, a Lloyd Williams cast-off, took his record to 10 wins from 18 starts when he returned from his Rockhampton Newmarket victory to win the Listed Ascot Handicap (1200m) at Eagle Farm on July 9.
Hansen had planned to campaign Essington in the spring but has since decided to spell the four-year-old and aim him for the Doomben summer series which starts in December.
Meanwhile, Hansen is looking forward to Aladah having her first start since December in the Greg Grant Handicap (1200m).
The five-year-old mare has a history of leg problems but Hansen is confident he’s got on top of the problem.
“I was going to retire her about two months ago,” he said.
“She’s got bad fetlocks but I’ve put a fair bit of time into her and she’s a lot better now.”
Hansen believes regular massaging therapy has been the key with Aladah who has won five of her 27 starts.
“She was in a fair bit of pain last preparation but since I’ve been using a massaging machine on her she’s got a fair bit of movement back in her legs,” he said.
“I’m hopeful she’ll run a nice race tomorrow.”
AAP TURF
