Racing Victoria (RV) Stewards today issued two charges under AR 240(2) against licensed trainer Mr Mark Sues following their investigation into the circumstances that led to the Mr Sues trained horses Skytain and Infernal returning pre-race urine samples containing the prohibited substance, Heptaminol. The urine samples were collected prior to the following races:
- Skytain: The Laser Clinics Australia Maiden Plate over 1430 metres at the Traralgon Racecourse on 2 November 2019.
- Infernal:The Opus Group Handicap over 1200 metres at the Moonee Valley Racecourse on 6 December 2019.
Heptaminol is a prohibited substance on raceday pursuant to Division 1 of Part 2 of Schedule 1 (Prohibited List B) of the Australian Rules of Racing.
The presence of Heptaminol was detected in the urine samples by Racing Analytical Services Limited and by the Australian Racing Forensic Laboratory.
AR 240 (2) reads as follows:
AR 240 Prohibited substance in sample taken from horse at race meeting
(2) Subject to subrule (3), if a horse is brought to a racecourse for the purpose of participating in a race and a prohibited substance on Prohibited List A and/or Prohibited List B is detected in a sample taken from the horse prior to or following its running in any race, the trainer and any other person who was in charge of the horse at any relevant time breaches these Australian Rules.
The charges will be heard before the Victorian Racing Tribunal on a date to be fixed.