RV Stewards' Report - Vincent Hall

Racing Victoria (RV) Stewards have today completed their inquiry into the finding of Fexofenadine as detected in a post-race urine sample taken from Harmonett after it won Race 2, the Brad Masters Plumbing Handicap over 1000 metres, at Sportsbet Sandown Racecourse on Wednesday 21 January 2026.

During the inquiry, Stewards considered evidence taken from Mr Vincent Hall as the trainer and owners’ representative of Harmonett, in addition to a Brief of Evidence compiled by the RV Compliance Assurance Team.

Charge (1) – AR240(2) Prohibited substances in sample taken from horse at race meeting

The particulars of the charge are summarised as follows:

• On 21 January 2026 Mr. Hall presented Harmonett to race in Race 2, the Brad Masters Plumbing BM62 Handicap over 1000 metres, at Sportsbet Sandown Racecourse.
• On 21 January 2026 a post-race urine sample taken from the mare was found to contain the prohibited substance Fexofenadine.
• Fexofenadine is an antihistamine used to relieve the symptoms of hay fever (seasonal allergic rhinitis) and hives (chronic idiopathic urticaria) in humans. It is not registered for use in horses and is a prohibited substance pursuant to Division 1 of Part 2 of Schedule 1 (Prohibited list B) of the Australian Rules of Racing.

Plea: Not Guilty

Verdict: Guilty

Penalty

Stewards considered the following with respect to penalty:

1. Not guilty plea.
2. Co-operation throughout the investigation and inquiry.
3. Mr Hall’s prior clean record in relation to this rule.
4. The circumstances of this case.
5. Personal and professional circumstances.
6. Principles of specific and general deterrence and what message is sent to the industry in respect to such conduct.

In all these circumstances, Stewards determined the appropriate penalty to be $4000.

Harmonett

Under the provisions of AR240(1), Stewards disqualified Harmonett from its first placing in Race 2, the Brad Masters Plumbing Handicap over 1000m, at Sportsbet Sandown Racecourse on 21 January 2026 and amended the placings accordingly.

Relevant Rules

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.