O’Shea to weigh up an appeal

JOHN O’Shea has not ruled out lodging an appeal after yesterday escaping a ban and instead being fined a total of $30,000 for his role in the Godolphin strangles inquiry.

O’Shea read a statement yesterday pleading with stewards not to ban him from the industry as he claimed it would have had a huge impact on not only himself but the staff of his stable at Randwick, which only started operating recently.

O’Shea, Godolphin Australia’s former head trainer, was fined $20,000 for giving false and/or misleading evidence and $10,000 for being a party to former Godolphin Australia managing director, Henry Plumptre committing a breach under AR64K(2).

O’Shea said he would consider an appeal against the $20,000 fine for misleading and/or false evidence.

“I was disappointed from the outset to be charged with regards to the false evidence,” he said.

“I’m still disappointed but all I will say is Mr (Marc) Van Gestel and the stewards’ panel have been very thorough and fair in their dealings and that’s all you can ask.”

Earlier this month, Plumptre was fined $15,000 for not reporting the strangles case as soon as Godolphin racehorse Polemic tested positive to the disease of the upper respiratory tract last August.

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

Dr Robson told stewards he had two conversations with O’Shea about the positive strangles test, one on August 5 (Friday morning) along with Plumptre and the other a day earlier at Godolphin’s Crown Lodge facility (Thursday afternoon).