Why do some Online Social Media "contributors" have different rules for some? John Wheeler

[Chief Stipe]

Non Raceday Request for a Ruling – Written Decision dated 3 August 2026 – CROSSWELL

ID: RIB69483

Respondent(s):
John Raymond Wheeler - Trainer

Applicant:
Ms D Olliver - RIB Investigator

Chair Adjudicator:
Warwick Gendall KC

Panel Members:
Bruce Mainwaring

Persons Present:
Nil - on the papers

Information Number:
A21952

Decision Type:
Race Related Charge

Charge:
Prohibited Substance in horse - Dexamethasone

Rule(s):
804(2) - Prohibited substance

Plea:
Admitted

Stewards Report

Results

Animal Name:
CROSSWELL

Code:
Thoroughbred

Race Date:
17/05/2026

Race Club:
Egmont Racing Club

Race Location:
Hawera Racecourse - Waihi Road, Hawera, 4610

Race Number:
R4

Hearing Date:
31/07/2026

Hearing Location:
N/A on the papers

Outcome: Determination

Penalty: N/A

1.  The thoroughbred horse CROSSWELL started in Race 4, the “CLAAS HARVEST CENTRE MDN 2YO 1200M” at the Egmont Racing Club Meeting at Hawera on 17 May 2026.  It finished first, earning a stake of $9,250.

2.  The horse is owned by JM and TL Carroll and trained at New Plymouth by Mr J R Wheeler.

3.  A post race urine swab was obtained and on analysis at the New Zealand Laboratory, and later confirmed on 16 July 2026 at the Australian Laboratory, as containing the Prohibited Substance Dexamethasone.  That drug is a synthetic corticosteroid and as detected in a raceday urine or blood sample, can arise only from administration or environmental exposure.

4.  And Rule 804(1)(i) of the Rules of Racing:

“A horse which has been brought to a Racecourse …… is found by a Tribunal conducting an inquiry to have had …….. present in its metabolism a Prohibited Substance shall be …….. disqualified for any race…..”

The provision is mandatory.

5.  Mr Wheeler, as Trainer, is charged under Information No. A21952 and admits the breach which is one of strict liability and could only have arisen through some mistake unknown to him, by staff as he told the Investigator that he had never treated the horse with that substance.  The outcome of his charge will follow after he has had the opportunity of making submissions to the Adjudicative Committee.

6.  For the moment however, the mandatory disqualification of CROSSWELL must occur, and the Adjudicative Committee so rules.  The revised placings are now recorded as:

1st        No. 7   THE ARMORER

2nd       No. 8    HANABELL

3rd        No. 1    FURSTON

4th         No. 6   MR CHOW

5th         No. 2   GRAND CAPITALIST

Decision Date: 03/08/2026

Publish Date: 03/08/2026

 

[Chief Stipe]

Mmmm - similar timeframe as for other similar recent charges.  I guess Mr Wheeler is lucky he doesn't train for Russell Warwick otherwise he would have a pack of wolves on his case.

As others have mentioned these cases all follow a similar timeline.  The process should probable be quicker however it would be interesting to know what the constraint is.  I suspect it is testing and results constraints.

[Chief Stipe]

Seems everyone is still distracted by their obsessions.  

[Chief Stipe]

Non Raceday Inquiry – Written Penalty Decision dated 20 August 2026 – John Wheeler

ID: RIB69664

Respondent(s):
John Raymond Wheeler - Trainer

Applicant:
Ms D Olliver - RIB Investigator

Chair Adjudicator:
Warwick Gendall KC

Panel Members:
Bruce Mainwaring

Persons Present:
Ms D Olliver and Mr J Wheeler

Information Number:
A21952

Decision Type:
Race Related Charge

Charge:
Prohibited Substance in horse - Dexamethasone

Rule(s):
804(2) - Prohibited substance

Plea:
Admitted

Stewards Report

Results

Animal Name:
CROSSWELL

Code:
Thoroughbred

Race Date:
17/05/2026

Race Club:
Egmont Racing Club

Race Location:
Hawera Racecourse - Waihi Road, Hawera, 4610

Race Number:
R4

Hearing Date:
15/08/2026

Hearing Location:
New Plymouth Racecourse

Outcome: Proved

Penalty: Licensed Trainer John Wheeler is fined $2,000

1.  Mr J Wheeler, the Trainer of the horse CROSSWELL has been charged with a breach of Rule 804(2) of the Rules of Racing in that he failed to present the horse to race in Race 4 (the CLAAS HARVEST CENTRE MAIDEN 2YO 1200 METRE event) at the Egmont Racing Club meeting on 17 May 2026, free of the Prohibited Substance Dexamethasone.

2.  He admitted the breach, which under the Rule, is one of strict liability.

3.  The horse won the race, earning a stake of $9,250.  It has been disqualified as is mandatory under Rule 804(1)(i) which provides that where a horse “….. brought to a racecourse and found by a Tribunal conducting an inquiry to …. have had present in its metabolism a Prohibited Substance shall be …. disqualified from any race”.

4.  Post race urine swabs from the horse were, on analysis by the New Zealand Laboratory as containing Dexamethasone.  This is a synthetic corticosteroid drug which is a Prohibited Substance.  If found in a raceday urine or blood sample, it can only arise from administration or environmental exposure, and not from the normal physiology of a horse.

5.  On 16 June 2026, RIB Investigators attended at Mr Wheeler’s property to seek an interview, but he was overseas.  Members of his staff showed the Investigators a medicine cabinet – common to all Trainers’ stables – that contained two bottles of 50ml of “Randlab Dex 2-5 injectable Dexamethasone” amongst other medications.  One bottle was half empty, the other full.

6.  After Mr Wheeler returned to New Zealand, he was interviewed by the Investigators on 2 July 2026.  He said that he had never given CROSSWELL at any time that medication.  It had no health related issues and was having its first race and could not offer any explanation for the positive finding.  He said that he could not recall the last time he had given Dexamethasone to any of his horses.  It was a long time ago that the bottles of this medication had been given to him.

7.  After the B sample sent to the Australian Laboratory on 16 July 2026 had the analysis confirmed as to the presence of Dexamethasone, the Information was presented and served on Mr Wheeler by email on 23 July 2026.  This Adjudicative Committee was constituted and by the Ruling made on 31 July 2026, disqualified CROSSWELL from the race at the Egmont Racing Club meeting.

8.  Mr Wheeler admitted the breach of Rule 804(2).  It imposes a strict liability on a Licensee for presentation of a horse to race when having a Prohibited Substance in its metabolism.

9.  As Mr Wheeler wished to be heard as to penalty, the Adjudicative Committee convened in August 2026 (at Taranaki raceday in New Plymouth on 15 August).

Penalty Submissions

10.  At this hearing, Ms Olliver on behalf of the RIB, submitted that a fine of $2,500 without any costs order was appropriate.  She said that in this case, the NZTR Penalty Guide for a first presentation offence of a fine of $8,000 was excessive.  The Adjudicative Committee agreed with that submission.  She acknowledged that enquiries could not establish how the drug came to be in the horse’s system.  She referred to Mr Wheeler’s clear record, senior status, high esteem in which he is held by all in the racing community, and that his services to racing over many years resulted in recognition in the (then) Queen’s Birthday Honours.

11.  Mr Wheeler told the Adjudicative Committee that the bottle, and one half, had been left for many years in the stables’ medicine cabinet and he had never used the drug on any horse for many years.  He was at a loss as to how it was found in this horse’s system and could only “assume it was from some outside contamination source”.  He said the race was the horse’s first start and there was no way any of his staff could have given in mistaken for another horse.  The medical records kept for all horses provide no support for such a mistake.  At best, he could only speculate that some source – such as the substance being an ingredient of an eye ointment, somehow was transferred by human hands.

12.  He referred to his many years as a successful Trainer and clear record and whilst accepting that a fine was necessary, sought to be as “low as possible”.

Outcome

13.  Dexamethasone is a drug permitted to be given to horses so long as it is not in the system when raced.  The Adjudicative Committee accepts Mr Wheeler’s contention that this did not arise through mistake on the part of his staff.  But he accepts that as the Trainer bringing this horse to race, he was to face the ultimate liability arising from his obligation, and duty, to comply with the Rules of the profession, as a Trainer.  That is why the Rule imposes strict liability with there being a need to deter other Trainers/Licensees who breach the Rule – albeit intentionally.  Professional disciplinary Rules are not necessarily the same as criminal legal requirements, and they impose obligations on Licensees and others bound by the Rules. Only in the very rarest of cases would no sanction be applied – and Mr Wheeler has not asked that that occur.  In exceptionally rare situations, no fine has occurred, but there a Committee has emphasised they are not “precedent”.

14.  There are no aggravating factors, but very many mitigating factors which compel leniency.  These include:

• Mr Wheeler’s early acceptance of the Information.
• His cooperation.
• His refusal to point to any error or mistake by his staff.
• His standing as a Senior Trainer of 40 years.  He has trained over 1,100 winners in New Zealand and 300 in Australia and his horses have won countless Group 1 and Black Type Races in both countries.
• His service to the Code/Industry/Sport/Country was recognised in the 2013 Queen’s Birthday Honours list.

15.  It would be very difficult to find a Trainer in New Zealand with such a record and history of compliance with the Rules.

16.  Two other cases of presenting horses to race with Dexamethasone in their system (A Campbell in 2021, A Clement in 2023) resulted in fines of $2,500 and $2,000.

17.  In this case, the Adjudicative Committee imposes a fine of $2,000 so as not to punish Mr Wheeler, but to emphasise the need for all Trainers to be very vigilant in meeting the “presentation” obligations.

18.  Accordingly, a fine of $2,000 is imposed.  No order as to costs (whether the RIB’s or the Adjudicative Committee’s) are made.

Decision Date: 20/08/2026

Publish Date: 21/08/2026

[Chief Stipe]

Not a peep from the Anti-Racing mob.