Michelle Payne has been fined $5,000 after her horse Jukila tested positive for Dexamethasone during a pre-race urine sample taken at Bendigo last year. Dexamethasone is an anti-inflammatory agent used to treat a range of conditions. The presence of the substance was found before Jukila won a race on the Bendigo Cup Day undercard on October 26, 2022, with Payne aboard.
At a hearing held by the Victorian Racing Tribunal on Thursday morning, Judge John Bowman handed down the verdict. He stated that given the nature of the offending, a fine at the lower end of the scale was appropriate. He also noted that Payne had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity, cooperated fully with the stewards, and had a good record.
According to Judge Bowman, the appropriate penalty was a fine of $5,000. Additionally, Jukila was disqualified from Race 3 at Bendigo on 26 October 2022, and the finishing order and prizemoney were adjusted accordingly.
Payne had earlier explained to the VRT that she had used Dexamethasone to treat a twitch in Jukila. She stated that the horse was becoming aggressive and dangerous for her stable staff, and she had consulted a vet before administering the substance two days prior to the race. “It wasn’t just a willy-nilly treatment, there was a lot of thought put into the reason why I did give it to him on the Monday morning,” Payne said.
Judge Bowman acknowledged Payne’s reasons for administering the substance but said the time between the treatment and the race was not long enough. He stated that while they accepted that Payne had been administering Dex to the horse on veterinary advice, she only allowed a withhold period of approximately two days, which was insufficient. For this type of medication, a withhold period of five days is appropriate, according to Judge Bowman.