Chief Stipe

Horse at centre of previous doping allegations scratched from harness race after failing vet test Sam Sherwood09:09, Mar 22 2021Fac ALDEN WILLIAMS/STUFF Jesse Alford was suspended last month after Racing Integrity Unit investigators caught him administering a substance to two horses. (File photo) A horse allegedly doped by a harness racing trainer was scratched from its first race since the scandal broke after failing a veterinary test. Its new trainer is also facing a charge of attempting to start an unsound horse. Five-year-old gelding Johnny Nevits was allegedly injected and tubed only three weeks ago by Canterbury trainer Jesse Alford. The horse was then transferred to the Woodend training facility of trainer Cam Jones after Harness New Zealand suspended Alford’s licence. Johnny Nevits was due to run in race three at the Banks Peninsula Trotting Club meet at Motukarara on Sunday, A stewards report by the Racing Integrity Unit said Jones was spoken to prior to the race on the advice on the on-course veterinarian stewards regarding their intention to scratch the gelding after an examination found soreness in one of its legs. Jones tried to dispute the decision to scratch the horse, and after hearing evidence from Jones, the stewards and the veterinarian, the Judicial Control Authority declared Nevits a late scratching. A veterinary clearance is required prior to the gelding resuming racing. Jones defended a charge that he attempted to start an unsound horse, with the incident adjourned to a later date. Alford has been charged with administering a prohibited substance and attempting to administer a prohibited substance on race day. Racing Integrity Unit investigators raided his stables at Woodend Beach in February, finding syringes and other equipment used for tubing horses, an illegal process that allows a chemical solution to be administered to improve a horse's stamina. It is understood Alford was seen injecting a substance into Johnny Nevits and also inserting a tube into its nose. Alford will be dealt with at a Judicial Control Authority hearing at a date yet to be set. Jones, who did not respond to earlier calls from Stuff, has had a stellar start to his training career. In 21 starts he has posted five wins, four second places and two thirds. Motor Mouth, another horse involved in the incident at Alford’s stables and which is now also trained by Jones, is racing at Forbury Park in Dunedin on Monday. The gelding, which will be driven by Sheree Tomlinson, is entered in the Living Corporation Ltd Mobile Pacer, a race for pacers three years and older which have never won a race. Prize money of $7000 is on offer. Racing Integrity Unit general manager Mike Godber earlier said the horses were entitled to start in the races as they had met pre-race conditions. The normal testing regime would apply to the races, he said.

Well I guess if that is all that you are worried about and feel like commenting on I guess all is well in NZ Racing.

His research is crap. You have yet to address why the other "expert" on this subject that you quote "the Prof" provides research that shows the complete opposite. You have ZERO evidence to support that assertion. Now don't come back to US until you have some solid research and accurate analysis to support your arguments.

Which Club in New Zealand has "rolled the Going Stick out"? Once you have given us that information can you then show us how you have used it PRIOR to a race to adjust your "Blueprint Betting Strategy"? We have all been waiting with interest for quite some time for an answer to the second question.

If you are going to quote someone then get their name correct - that's being polite. Secondly if you are going to quote them then quote what they ACTUALLY say not your bullshit fiction.

Geez you are not joining the conspirators as well?

Gammalite I'd hate to put you in the same class as Flash bit suggest you look closer at the the Informational posts that occur under the Chief Stipe account. That aside it isn't a competition to have the most posts. It might provide some material for the odd database analyst to ruminate over and pontificate. If only one person trips across some interesting information then all cool with me.

Piss off dipshit. Do you think I actually rewrite all the RIU posts? Or for that matter care?

The echo chamber giving you a headache Flash?

Why does it bug you?

You haven't made any adjustments to your assessment based on season differences and other factors such as horse/race Class. You also have done any comparative analysis between the rest of the population. The Allstars were still dominating. However I guess you don't do any statistical analysis and rely on your eyesight.

Based on this comment it would seem you haven't done any analysis just working on what you have "seen". Hardly a good punting strategy. Was it you not earlier in the season that was using UDR's to support your view? But as soon as I pointed out that when taking into consideration other statistics the UDR's for the Allstars team wasn't as bad has your "sight" determined that measure was dropped.

With the recent morphine positive? Yes I would tend to agree however the owners of the mare were substantially more disadvantaged. Again there seems to be considerable inconsistency in how these cases are treated. The Kenny Rae case highlighted that stable security at Riccarton was virtually non existent. In saying that though the majority of NZ racetrack stables are no different. This problem is only going to get worse and there needs to a review done.

At around the same time as the New Plymouth cases Kenny Rae was charged for a similar offence. Again it is assumed that environmental contamination was the cause. One interesting aspect of this case is that the level is mentioned in the decision. 5 nanograms per ml. A human can pass a workplace safety test with up to 60 times that amount I.e. 300 nanograms per ml. http://www.jca.org.nz/non-race-day-hearings/non-raceday-inquiry-riu-v-k-l-rae-and-k-williams-reserved-decision-dated-26-november-2018-chair-prof-g-hall/?searchterm=Methamphetamine *

Oh and there was actually 4 cases at New Plymouth with the fourth occurring on a separate occasion. All four horses were disqualified and the four separate trainers were not charged nor fined. No culpability could be found. Again as with all of these cases there was no mention of the level that was detected. I imagine with the going rate of P it would be a costly exercise to purchase enough to have an effect.

Yes. Previous Positives On the 24th November 2017 three equine Methamphetamine positives resulted from the New Plymouth TR meeting at Pukekura Raceway. The proceeding investigation resulted in a RIU recommendation concluding that the three trainers not be charged for a prohibited substance presentation offence. In the unique circumstances of their case the RIU considered all the facts and determined that none of the trainers involved should be held liable for the positive swabs. The RIU believed that the trainers could not have done anything to prevent the positive swabs from occurring. The only commonalities in these three positives were that all three horses had been kept in the Pukekura Raceway ‘visitors yards’ prior to the race, they all wore saddle cloth #3, they won consecutive races and they had all been through the swab box process. The evidence was summarised in RI Cruickshank’s report: · There is no evidence that any of the Trainers has either deliberately or mistakenly administered or caused to be administered Methamphetamine to their horses. · There is no evidence that the actions of any of the Trainers is negligent, careless, reckless, or otherwise which may have caused the positive tests. · There is no evidence that any of the Trainers or their staff use or used Methamphetamine at or around the time of the positive tests. · There is no evidence of swab officials using or having used Methamphetamine or being responsible for the positive tests. · There is no evidence that the Barrier Attendants use or used Methamphetamine at or around the time which may have caused the positive tests. · There is no evidence that the swab samples have been contaminated. Conclusion The evidence indicates that the horses have come into contact with Methamphetamine via unknown ingestion, inhalation or contamination in or around the yards of Pukekura Raceway between 1.30pm and 5.30pm on 24 November 2017. The evidence indicates that the three trainers involved should not be held liable for the Methamphetamine being in their respective horses

I can't remember the detail on that one. Wasn't it environmental contamination again?

Nice win by Armarelinha and a top ride by Bosson. She is a really tough filly with a great turn of foot which would hold her in good stead in OZ.

Where is the evidence of systemic corruption? If it was that widespread there would be something. As for people leaving well who has actually left? Not a huge number is it. I seriously doubt you are for real as you continually fail to post any proof. All you do is say "look at such and such a race. Oooohh something dodgy going on there!" But you have no evidence! You are as bad as Galah with your "join the dots". Even today you insinuate that something was wrong at the All Stars stable because "their horses this year haven't been able to sit three wide and win!" Which is a nonsensical statement without any evidence. You then rubbish a good measure of performance the UDR's for the only reason that data doesn't back up your baseless assertion.

3 New Plymouth what?

Yes but the fact is there has been next to nothing found. No proof of "systemic widespread drug use"! Same with race fixing. Zilch, zip, nada! INCA SFA! Now as I said once the Allford case came to light - what was it that he was administering that he thought would not be detected by normal swab and blood testing? IF the RIU had already identified prohibited substances from raceday samples then it is a dereliction of duty and a serious blight on their integrity to sit on the results. If that really is the case and you approve of that approach to maintaining integrity in racing then that would be it for me with regard to racing. Going to be really interesting to see what comes out of the inquiry in Victoria.

The crowd numbers at Trentham on a great day of racing looks absolutely pitiful. I remember when a filly I had a share in ran in the Oaks there was a big crowd.

Aren't we still waiting for some BIG result from INCA? When is it coming Galah/Newmarket you seem to have the inside info?

But what did they catch? Any evidence of race fixing? How many performance enhancing drugs uncovered? SFA! About the worst they have got is recreational drug use and dealing. No more or less than if you put any industry under surveillance. As for the "booze bus" effect aka deterrent - really? Doesn't the fact that they have caught SFA send the opposite message? That is it appears to be relatively easy to get away with race fixing and performance enhancing drugs. Of course that assumes that there is a "systemic and endemic problem going right to the core" of harness racing. I would say that that assumption is in fact not correct.

If they know there is "more to come" then they are being fed by someone at the RIU. Quite frankly that stinks. Will be interesting to see what comes out of the RV Integrity Commission Inquiry into the actions of the Feds over there. Maybe there is more to come. In my opinion there should be an Inquiry into the actions of the Police and RIU regarding INCA. A lot of public and industry money was squandered on nothing.