Trainer denies charge
NORTH Queensland trainer Leslie Gordy says he has little confidence in the local QRIC stewards after having one of his winning horses disqualified recently.
Gordy, who is usually Townsville-based but has had his horses in Mareeba of late, presented Mighty Marmalade to Cluden Park on December 14, 2019, for the 0-60 Handicap 1200m and a post-race urine sample taken was found to contain the prohibited substance, arsenic.
Gordy (pictured) pleaded not guilty to the charge and was allowed to make further submissions.
He was later fined $2000 and Mighty Marmalade was disqualified.
Gordy, a former talented soccer player in his younger days, is in the process of an appeal and says he has never used arsenic or anything with arsenic in it near his horses.
He described the ordeal as a “painful process”, believing he has done nothing wrong and is being branded a cheat.
“I just do not have much confidence at all in the stewards system at the moment, I pleaded to them about the uncertainty levels of this horse, the pre-race blood samples brought a negative and a postrace one turned a positive,” Gordy said.
“The levels are so low and the horse was so dehydrated from racing, the concentration in urine levels can increase significantly.
“What I found was that the stewards did not know the rules and then did not want to listen to the facts, now I have to appeal it, take it through court and pay all this money.
“They could have seen there was uncertainty in the threshold level, and given me a warning.
“This could have been dealt with a lot easier, I have been charged and had my horse disqualified, people assume I am a cheater and it could have just naturally occurred in the horse.”
Racing Integrity commissioner Ross Barnett would not make comment at this time in regards to Gordy’s remarks.
Gordy will have one starter this afternoon at Tolga in the Ratings Band 0 – 60 Handicap (1200m), mare Double Denman. The four-year-old is second-up from a break and Gordy has boldly declared Double Denman is a “moral” today.
He believes the former South Australian galloper has come back better than ever following a spell, sorting out her muscle tightness issues, and is poised for a strong preparation.
The five-event non-TAB program will be the first in FNQ with punters back on course in months, following zone racing and recent coronavirus restrictions on crowds at sport events.
Meanwhile, Barnett has this week confirmed banned local rider Amanda Thomson is currently not a licensed jockey.
Thomson received a fivemonth riding ban in November last year after failing a breath test during track work.
The ban has since expired but Thomson has not reapplied to become a jockey.
Elsewhere, the Cairnsowned North Afrika romped in yesterday afternoon in the Benchmark 58 Handicap (1600m) at Rockhampton, leading for much of the way and scoring strongly on the line.