It was a simple error in reading the label. A product containing green tea powder, which has low level caffeine, had been routinely fed for 9 months. Several swabs had returned negative but one dog in particular found a way to retain a trace amount, giving a positive reading.
Stewards accepted this to be most likely cause of the swab irregularity and ruled out any devious plans to cheat my way into the mega purse of $1050, split in half by the owner of the dog.
Yet when the time came to hand down the penalty, Satan himself entered the chief honchess and played his cards to perfection.
They noted the impeccable welfare record, the 100% success at breeding pups to be winners, the 100% record of rehoming dogs without any strain on their gap program, the 100% record of rehabilitating dogs injured on the track since the track injury rebate scheme was introduced and they noted that greyhound racing was the only source of income for my household. No centrelink, no other work, mortgage paid by dogs, etc.
But in the name of integrity, they felt it necessary to strip me of every license I hold, force me to abandon all my racing pets that have lived on my property since conception, ban me from attending any race track in Australia, hand over all ownership and syndication management rights and wash their hands as I am forced to sell my house and find another way to put food on the table.
The 4 months I can cope with, although I think that is a little harsh given the circumstances. But disqualification?
And the one that really hits me is the recent case involving one of the states leading trainers who returned a positive. His dog had won 3 races in 7 days including running a PB by 3 lengths when it returned its positive. Yet the penalty was a suspended sentence and a fine which was covered by one win on a Thursday.
I dont like using the word corruption. But when these two cases are lined up together, it is impossible for me to see any other way. In both cases, the media release form grsa states that there needs to be a general deterrent, and that it is wholly the trainers responsibility to present the dog free of prohibited substances. Me, 4 months in the wilderness. The other trainer, business as usual.
You may say this is whingeing, yes you would be right. But let me just repeat, this is a simple mistake of not reading a label properly, the panel agreed. There is an avenue of appeal but I have no confidence in any of that after what I have seen already in that state.
So I leave now, bitter and twisted and a sworn enemy of greyhound racing. I have never known an industry where the regulators go to such extremes to work against the participants.
By 2030, this sport will no longer exist.
That's the truth folks, enjoy it while you can.

Victoria basically stopped disqualification and replaced it with fines/suspensions in case's like yours as not only were they running out of dogs but trainers as well, stewards quote that started it " we recommend suspension because of the "ONEROUS" task it is to get a license back after disqual.

You can fight and there are many cases you can use as examples. You get a stay that allows you to continue your routine until the hearing at SA's equivalent of VCAT.

It's was a hell of a ride, while it lasted ;-)

It is humiliating and degrading and puts you and your life in a bad place and this is something that should never happen to honest people who have had a clean record in the Industry .

We have all seen the big name players get away with Murder YEAR AFTER YEAR
and it really does make you sick in the gut.

This kind of thing rips apart lifes and destroys the dream of the small OTB and it is something many don't recover from

I would call it soul destroying when you get railroaded at these hearings ..
The PTB understand and know just how much pressure this puts on your family and this is why it is so FARKEN wrong

they know what effect this has on the smaller OTB they all deserve to hang their heads in shame once again this time IMO .
Good luck to you and your Family Mate ..

Take the bastards on ,you seem to have a great case .so if only for your satisfaction,keep the bastards honest.

On the day they decided to hand me the notice of a positive swab, they turned up at my gate as I was leaving for Angle Park with 5 racedogs.
These people could not even be bothered to look at when I might be racing next and if they did look, they clearly ignored it.
It was a Thursday night, the only night in that state where the prizemoney is any good. On the previous Friday, they could have seen the fields for Wednesday and saw that I was not racing and organised to come on that day. But no, they had to come on the only day of the week I was racing and they had to turn up at the exact time I was leaving.
Also in the vehicle was a bitch who broke her hock at Gawler the week before. Instead of taking the easy option of euthanizing, I chose to rehabilitate her. She had an operation and had some pins and screws inserted. One of the pins had loosened and penetrated the skin. I sent a photo to the vets and they said to bring her down straight away. So she was to be dropped off at the vets on my way to the track.
2 GRV stewards had to attend with the GRSA officer because I live in Vic and GRSA cant come onto my property without GRV present. The GRV officers saw that I was leaving and said they can come back tomorrow so I left. Then I get a phone call from GRSA telling me to turn around but they would not say why.
So basically I had to scratch 2 dogs from the early races and leave the trailer behind to make up time getting to the track.
I got home that night at 4am, woke up at 7am and had to make another 8 hour return trip to take the bitch to the vet.
This is the lack of respect that I have never experienced in any other industry and I have worked in many jobs around the country.

So instead of spending $500 on an appeal, in an industry that I have already forgotten and have no intentions of entering again, I'm going to buy the wife a lovely bunch of flowers and a necklace and go to Halls Gap for a week to climb a few mountains.
After that, there's a lovely 2yo colt by Hinchinbrook I'm interested in and our programs in Africa to attend to.
I love the greyhound, I respect the trainers even if I dont like some of them, but the administrators of the industry need to learn a few things about respecting others.
Ive hit the road Jack and I aint coming back no more no more no more no more.

beta hurry n lock it in before prices on his offspring rise........ Hininbrook died a couple of months ago