Signoff’s Adelaide Cup campaign is in jeopardy with the classy stayer scratched from a race in Melbourne amid concerns he could return another positive to Ibuprofen.
Trainer Darren Weir will instead give him a searching race-day gallop after which he will be tested for the anti-inflammatory drug.
Signoff is among a number of horses treated with Ibuprofen while recovering from tendon injuries at a property in Victoria.
The lengthy and erratic excretion of the substance has caused issues with mixed results to tests.
Signoff’s last three tests have been negative.
“We’re going to gallop him before the first race and give him a good searching 2000 metre gallop and then take another elective test after he works at the races, just to see whether there’s any difference in the results,” Weir said.
The Racing Victoria Integrity Council met on Monday to discuss the spate of Ibuprofen irregularities with their recommendations to go before the RV board next week.
Signoff returned an irregularity to Ibuprofen after his Lord Stakes win on December 26 and Weir scratched him from a race at Flemington last month.
Weir said he spoke to chief steward Terry Bailey on Friday and because there could be no guarantees, the trainer said he would instead take the horse to Caulfield for a work-out.
The leading Victorian trainer is still keeping the work up to Signoff in the hope the 2014 Melbourne Cup fourth can be cleared to run in next month’s Adelaide Cup.
“We’ve still been able to work him and do everything. He just needs racing, that’s all,” Weir said.
