Chief Stipe

It's an appalling article based on nothing other than Alford. Woodham showing his true Thoroughbred colours.

I'm not sure the horses care where they race.....

Another key component of this issue is how testing methodologies are becoming ever more sensitive–with some laboratories proving more sophisticated than others. Indeed, the naproxen positives at Charles Town coincided with state regulators switching the drug testing contract to the “highly capable” Denver-based Industrial Laboratories, according to the authors of the 2018 study. “What's been the real problem here is we came from a period of time when most of these kinds of residues simply were not being detected before in horses,” says Barker. “Our methodology was not broad based to cover all possible drugs. Sensitivity of instrumentation was not nearly what it is today–the sensitivity has really increased,” he adds. Indeed, “There's the ability to test some of these drugs to zeptogram levels.” To put that into perspective, a picogram–a larger unit of measurement than the zeptogram, and one more commonly referenced–is the equivalent of one second in 32,000 years. A femtogram–the next unit of measurement down from the picogram–is the equivalent of one second in 32 million years. This basis of comparison is one frequently raised by advocates of the horsemen, and critics of the current testing system. But other experts object to the quantification of testing methodologies in this manner. “It all sounds very dramatic,” says the director of a U.S. laboratory, who asked to remain anonymous due to their company's involvement in ongoing litigation. “But it's kind of misleading.” To make their point, the lab director says that the amount of a particular substance in a single sample is a fraction of what's in the body as a whole, and that a horse has, on average, 50 liters of blood in its body. Fifty liters, therefore, is the equivalent of 50,000 milliliters. “The key term is per milliliter,” says the lab director, pointing to betamethasone, a steroid medication, which has an RMTC testing threshold of 10 picograms per milliliter. “We're not saying that the horse can only have 10 picograms of betamethasone in its system,” says the director. “We're saying you can have 10 picograms per milliliter times 50,000 milliliters, and that's how much drug you can actually have present in the horse.”

So you aren't going to read the articles, engage in educated dialogue and address the real elephant in the room? Some more reading for you. https://www.thoroughbreddailynews.com/the-black-eye-of-environmental-contamination/

This research is also worth reading. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-2885.2008.00978.x

Have a read of this Huey - might open your eyes......yeah na.

Well you have zero evidence to support anything to the contrary. You have even failed to present a plausible alternative explanation in contrast to the RIU who not only accept the current explanation but offered it in the first instance. Unfortunately your attitude and that of some Trainers in the industry to this issue is detrimental to progress. It is closed minded and dare I say based on bias and envy. Although in some instances it is just downright ignorance. I predict that we will see more instances of these issues unless the testing protocols and threshold limits are aligned to the risk within the environment in which we all work. The NZ racing industry doesn't work in a closed system like e.g. Hong Kong. Trainers and industry stakeholders should be asking questions rather than blindly accepting a lack of transparency in terms of the testing protocols. Vets and even those responsible at the RIU can see that the current regime is unfair with regard to zero tolerance but the rules offer no practical alternative in terms of a fair punishment.

So unequivocally you DON'T believe the contaminated feed reason for the Vamos Bebe positive? Yes or No.

What's YOUR point? Your comments on this matter are so ambiguous that one could infer that you point is: The protocols in place at Te Akau were such that in the absence of Vet administration the source of the morphine positive WAS contaminated feed. Is that correct?

I agree 100%. One big concern I have after a fair amount of research on the subject is that NZ Racing's rules, regulations and processes are outdated and at the very least misaligned to advances in testing technology. I've given up trying to work out what the management of the RIU are doing but I'm convinced they are not keeping up. Now this cuts both ways in terms of catching cheats and unfairly punishing those that are for all intents and purposes are innocent. For example - the feed contaminant issue and specifically "poppy seed" contamination leading to morphine positives. All three codes have been affected by this issue. Recently Te Akau - thoroughbreds (hay), Amber Hoffman - harness (horse foraging), and a case in greyhounds where dogs were fed bread containing poppy seeds. Now there is a "zero tolerance" for morphine but what does that mean? Testing technology is such that very very minute levels of any substance can now be detected. Levels so minute that they can have no performance enhancing or even therapeutic affect on horse or dog. The Nobel Prize winner that invented the PCR test that we are all now so familiar with stated (before he died and well before the current pandemic) that it had the potential to be misused. It is so sensitive that single molecules can be detected. He also said that you could find anything you wanted in someone's bloodstream if you processed enough cycles (each cycle magnifies the presence of a molecule). So he postulated when does a positive actually become a positive? For example you may have remnants of a virus in your body but you are not ill, not infectious and never will be. So should there be published testing tolerances like there is for TCO2 for "zero tolerance" substances? Is a 0.01 micro-grams result the same as a 0.00001 result when that substance to have any affect whatsoever would have to be present at a level of 0.5? For example an adult person weighing 100kg who eats one poppy seeded bagel can return a positive to morphine! My view is that there should be published tolerances for any substance that can be found freely in the environment - to have a blanket "zero tolerance" policy is lazy and impractical. Further specifically looking at the morphine contamination it is possible to determine its origin by chemical analysis. Should that type of testing be undertaken? Theoretically if you fed your US dollars to your horse it would return a positive to cocaine!

Rule Number(s): 638(3)(b)(ii)This charge arises from the running of Race No 4, the NZB Insurance Pearl Series Race (1400m). Stipendiary Steward Mr Coles filed an Information pursuant to Rule 638(3)(b)(ii) alleging that Class A Rider Mr B May used the whip excessively on his mount DESERT ROSE prior to the 100 metres. Mr May acknowledged ... (Feed generated with FetchRSS)View the full article

Rule Number(s): 869(3)(b)Following the running of Race 4, the Charles Roberts (N.I.S.B.A) Stakes (Listed) Mobile Pace 2200m, an Information was filed by Chief Stipendiary Steward Mr Ydgren alleging Open Horseman Mr M Jones, breached Rule 869 (3)(b) in that he drove carelessly over the latter stages of the home straight by allowing ... (Feed generated with FetchRSS)View the full article

The track has been stuffed for years. Same issues as all our premier tracks. Very little the Track Manager/Groundsman can do. It needs a major renovation. At least Ellerslie have a plan to rectify it. Can't say the same for Riccarton, Te Rapa or Awapuni. Imagine if the $16m being spent on the AWT track at Riccarton had been spent on the course proper?

You better get in quick!

Are you off your med's again Thomarse? Or on a drug induced Bob Dylan like trip?

You are making obtuse and art form. FFS if you are going to say something then say it. It is hard enough trying to interpret what the BOAY Village Idiot Thomarse is saying without others talking in mysterious tongues!

Idiot. They ran 1:34 on a D4! Callsign Mav sat on her back while she faced the breeze! She threw in a 10.6 second sectional at the 400m and had them gasping. Remind me to remind everyone to not sign up to your "tipping service"! You can't even read a race!

Syndicate honours fallen member 1 March 2021 , News By Jonny Turner The Dunedin based Ambie’s Army Syndicate honoured the late Jonny Keen soon after he lost his battle with cancer through the win of Aveross Spitfire at Oamaru yesterday. Driver Jonny Cox wore a black armband in memory of syndicate member Keen, who died earlier this month after a short and sudden illness. Aveross Spitfire defied his previous winless streak of 59 starts and powered away for an emphatic maiden win in race 5. Manager Aaron Johnston was sure Keen, who was a member of the syndicate alongside his fiancé Kirstin Burt, was willing the pacer on from above. “It was very special, I think he was getting driven home by Jonny [Keen],” Johnston said. The Ambies Army syndicate is largely made up of members of the Forbury Park harness racing fraternity but it is has members stretched across the South Island. With owners allowed on course under the country’s level 2 COVID19 restrictions, many of the group were on course to enjoy yesterday’s emotional victory. Johnston credited trainer Amber Hoffman for helping Aveross Spitfire break his winless streak. “The syndicate has stuck by Amber, he is actually not a bad horse, even though it has taken him 60 starts to win one.” “He has been a bit erratic, but he has settled down now.” “Amber has done a magnificent job and she has been patient.” Cox took charge of race 5, shooting Aveross Spitfire around to the lead in the middle stages before the pacer powered away for his stylish win. “It was a beautiful drive from Jonny,” Johnston said. The Ambies Army syndicate also enjoyed a second placing in To Ri Caitlin, who went down by just a neck to outsider Betstar Blue Jeans. Hoffman also went on to produce the quinella in race 12 with Dodgethebullet and Trinity Star. Cox enjoyed a brilliant day in the sulky yesterday, producing a winning treble. The Canterbury reinsman drove Mickey Fitz to a tough victory in race 3. After sitting parked the Jamie Campbell trained pacer fought off all challengers to continue his excellent form on grass track. Cox also took out the Waikouaiti Cup after handing She’s Tough a perfect run in the trail. The Brad Mowbray trained mare came with a late run to down runner-up American Lightning by a head at the finish. The win gave She’s Tough back to back cup race wins following her last start victory in the Hororata Cup. The Waikouaiti Trotters’ Cup was taken out by The Player, trained by Robert Dunn and driven by John Dunn.

You are pathetic Thomarse. Get on the 0800 BE A SNITCH phone - call Worksafe send them your photo's - make a complaint. Drive another nail in the coffin of NZ racing. For what? Your ego? Because it has nothing - zilch, zip, nada to do with safety. You still have't answered this question: Idiot.

There was no vet administration of morphine to Vamos Bebe during the preceding days leading up to raceday. 24 hours prior to raceday and those competing horses are essentially put into lockdown and closely monitored to the point of paranoia.

Spread all through what? One slab, two slabs, the whole bale, several bales? In a field the poppy plants would have been few in number and confined to a small area. Otherwise the plants would have been detected. The poppy plants have pods which contain the seeds. When the field was cut the pods were likely green and dried as part of the hay making process. That drying may not have been completed. The pods being heavier than the grass would not have travelled far during the drying process. Therefore it is conceivable that the contamination was limited to a few bales at most. They didn't test the one section of the bale that had already been eaten for obvious reasons. However they did test bales and returned a positive. The very nature of harvesting and stacking hay using machinery means that you don't get randomised distribution of bales I.e. bales from one area are still grouped together. Also the hay from the one source wasn't fed to the other barns where the other horses that races on 26 December were housed. Also they were able to review movements of horses, personnel and feed via camera recordings.

Karrots I wouldn't bother playing this game with Newmarket. The implication from the Topic Title is that those name in the thread are the "Honest Trainers" and therefore those that aren't are the "Dishonest Trainers".

So that unfairly discounts Amber Hoffman? Actually I guess it doesn't because morphine from poppy's isn't one of the "many substances we have heard about over the years." It would help if you listed those substances that we have heard about. TC02, Cobalt, ....um anything else? Why? They could be smart enough to not get caught.

Yep some horses really respond to a change in scenery, lifestyle and training regime. I thought watching the race that Spitfire looked happy and full of himself. Many a good trainer in any of the codes has been quoted as saying that 90% of the key to winning is keeping the horse happy.