Office of Racing Integrity
Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania
STEWARDS DECISION
OFFICE OF RACING INTEGRITY
and
PAUL MEDHURST
Date of hearing: 15th April 2024
Stewards Panel: Mr N Finnigan (Chair), Mr B. Free and Mrs T Canham
Present: Mr Paul Medhurst (Respondent)
Rule: Australian Harness Racing (AHR) Rule 190(1)
(1) A horse shall be presented for a race free of prohibited substances.
(2) If a horse is presented for a race otherwise than in accordance with sub-rule (1) the trainer of the horse is guilty of an offence.
Charge: Mr Paul Medhurst, the trainer of PETREA BROMAC NZ presented that horse to compete in Race 6 at the Tasmanian Trotting Club’s meeting on the Friday 5th April 2024, when a pre-race blood sample taken from the mare revealed a TC02 level above the permitted threshold.
Plea: Admitted
3.1.1 Penalties are designed to punish the offender for their wrongdoing. Penalties are not meant to be retributive in the sense that the punishment is disproportionate to the offence, but the offender must be met with a punishment.
3.1.3 Penalties imposed upon those offending the prohibited substance rules should reflect the industry’s disapproval of drugs being detected in horses.
3.2.1 The Stewards have resolved to approach the matter of penalty from the perspective of the desirability of consistency with previous penalties in dealing with similar offenders committing similar offences in similar circumstances.
In determining the appropriate penalty, the Stewards recognise the following factors in mitigation, and which are relevant to penalty discussions.
Having considered all circumstances, Stewards assess that a discount be applied to the starting penalty of a six-month disqualification.
Mr Medhurst is suspended for a period of six months pursuant to the Australian Rules of Harness Racing. The period of suspension will commence from Monday 15th April 2024.
Mr Medhurst was advised of his right to appeal.
It is mandatory that if a horse competes in a race and is found to have competed with a prohibited substance in its system that it must be disqualified from that race.
AHR Rule195 reads ….
A horse which has been presented for a race shall be disqualified from it if blood, urine, saliva, or other matter or sample or specimen taken from the horse is found to contain a prohibited substance.
As a consequence, the placings for Race 6 at the Tasmanian Trotting Club’s meeting on the 5th April 2024 are to be adjusted to reflect the disqualification of PETREA BROMAC NZ.
Decision Date: 15th April 2024