Payne in positive test for diet drug
MELBOURNE Cup winning jockey Michelle Payne has been ordered to front an inquiry today to explain a positive test for a banned diet drug.
Racing Victoria stewards said the presence of Phentermine, an appetite suppressant and banned substance, was found in a urine sample taken at the Swan Hill Cup meeting on June 11.
Stewards stood Payne down from riding and trackwork when they were informed of the positive swab on June 23, three days after she rode at Royal Ascot, in England.
Payne is expected to attend the inquiry at Racing Victoria headquarters at Flemington today.
Payne could not be contacted last night, but her dad Paddy said any penalty could jeopardise her future in the sport.
She had taken a dietary capsule known as Neuroform, he believed, a pill that can be bought online and is widely available in Europe and the US.
“I heard that she had a Neuroform or something like that,’’ he said. “A tablet thing.” Mr Payne said Michelle arrived in Australia on Tuesday after spending time in England for the Royal Ascot meeting.
He had not spoken to her directly, he said, but had been told by industry sources about the matter.
“I just heard a whisper – I don’t know if it’s right or not,’’ he said. “Michelle hasn’t said anything to me about it at all.’’
Stewards received the drug report from Racing Analytical Services Limited which confirmed the presence of Phentermine.
“She’s got this ride coming up in England in about a month I think,’’ Mr Payne said. “This might upset that. So she wouldn’t like that.’’
Recent bans for jockeys who have been found guilty of this offence have been one or two months.
Damien Oliver was sus- pended in 2009 for a month for using an appetite suppressant but successfully appealed against that decision.
In 2003, Hugh Bowman was suspended for six weeks for use of Phentermine. Jockeys suspended since Australia have received in between one- month two- month penalties.
Payne has a dual trainerjockey’s licence and trains a small team from her Ballarat base. If she was suspended it is not expected to interfere with her training.
Payne rode at England’s and Royal Ascot last week and rode 40- 1 shot Kaspersky into fifth place in the Queen Anne Stakes.
The 31- year- old is bringing Kaspersky back to Australia to train and she wants to tackle the Cox Plate with the stallion.