Birchley given year ban
BRISBANE trainer Liam Birchley’s one-year disqualification for his part in the Aquanita case will be enforced immediately in Queensland.
The Queensland Racing Integrity Commission had delayed taking action against Birchley until after the penalty was handed down by the Victorian Racing Appeals and Disciplinary Board yesterday.
Life disqualifications were handed to Group 1-winning former Melbourne trainer Robert Smerdon along with former stable employees Greg and Denise Nelligan.
Four others – trainers Stuart Webb (four years), Tony Vasil (three), Trent Pennuto (two) and stablehand Daniel Garland (one) – were also disqualified.
Birchley had been able to train and nominate horses in Queensland after being charged with being a party to a race-day treatment.
He has been unable to nominate horses in Victoria and NSW since being charged earlier this year.
Birchley was found guilty of the charge on Tuesday but has indicated he will appeal against the decision.
It was alleged the eight people, all connected to management company Aquanita Racing, had a link to race-day treatments or “top-ups” of bicarb and tripart paste to horses for 100-plus races over seven years.
The Aquanita Eight were charged in January after an investigation stemming from Nelligan’s alleged attempt to give Lovani an oral paste at Flemington on October 7.
Racing Victoria counsel Jeff Gleeson had called for a $100,000 fine for Smerdon on top of his life disqualification while requesting a minimum five-year disqualification for Webb, Vasil, Pennuto, Birchley and Garland.
In handing down his penalties, Victorian Racing Appeals and Disciplinary Board chief, Judge John Bowman, said Smerdon was the leading trainer, the most prominent trainer of the Aquanita Group and also a director of the management company.
Smerdon was given the life ban after being found guilty of engaging in a practice that was dishonest, corrupt or fraudulent, improper or dishonourable on 115 occasions.
Sodium bicarbonate buffers the build-up of lactic acid so helps the horse run longer rather than faster.
Six of Birchley’s horses have already been transferred to Gold Coast trainer Toby Edmonds to race this weekend.
Villiers Stakes winner Crack Me Up was transferred to Sydney trainer Bjorn Baker at the beginning of March.