Trainer emphatic in false evidence denial

JOHN O’Shea has emphatically denied giving false or misleading evidence as he pleaded not guilty to two charges issued against him in the Godolphin strangles inquiry that was adjourned for a second time.

O’Shea, Godolphin Australia’s former head trainer, pleaded not guilty to being a party to Henry Plumptre committing a breach under AR64K(2) and of providing false and/or misleading evidence in a stewards’ interview on June 16 and a stewards’ inquiry on June 27.

“I also deny that and I’m extremely disappointed to be [charged] for giving false evidence,” O’Shea said.

“It’s not in my nature to make false or misleading statements.”

While O’Shea pleaded not guilty, Godolphin Australia’s former managing director Plumptre pleaded guilty to one charge under AR64K(2) for not reporting to Rac- ing NSW as soon as possible that Polemic tested positive to strangles, a highly contagious infectious disease of the upper respiratory tract, from on or about August 5 last year.

Plumptre, who resigned from his role at Godolphin over the saga late last month, pleaded for stewards not to disqualify him from the industry as he prepares to return to his former role as a bloodstock agent.

Plumptre also revealed the Polemic issue arose in the same week he was “investigating a serious bullying issue at Osborne Park”.

“At the time, did I consider the bullying issues more important – my answer would be yes, but I now know that answer would be wrong,” Plumptre said.

Plumptre said he decided not to report the strangles positive after “strong reluctance” from the training team and also on the advice that Polemic was no risk to Godolphin’s horse population or the wider horse population because Polemic had been isolated.

Plumptre’s lawyer Peter Braham described his client’s record in a career spanning more than four decades as exemplary and “in the course of that time he has never been charged with any other breach of the laws of racing”.

O’Shea says he only had one conversation about the issue with Plumptre and Godolphin vet Dr Trevor Robson, at Godolphin’s Osborne Park headquarters in August last year, where he insists he wasn’t told of a positive test but only that Polemic was exhibiting symptoms of strangles.

Dr Robson claims he told O’Shea about the positive test first on August 4 after being made aware of it by another Godolphin vet.

O’Shea denies the August 4 conversation with Dr Robson took place.

The inquiry has been adjourned for stewards to consider the submissions.