Curries face stewards but no charges

QUEENSLAND’S leading thoroughbred trainer Ben Currie and his father Mark fronted a Queensland Racing Integrity Commission stewards inquiry yesterday in the wake of two stable workers being stood down on Thursday.

No charges were laid against the Curries but the inquiry is ongoing.

It followed news earlier in the day that QRIC had suspended the payment of prizemoney won by some Currietrained runners at last Saturday’s Toowoomba Weetwood meeting, in addition to standing down two of his stable workers.

The inquiry emanates from alleged “suspicious activity” at Currie’s stables last Saturday morning that could have been “possible breaches of the rules of racing concerning race-day treatment”.

Currie won the Toowoomba Guineas (Hang) and Weetwood (Amanaat) later that day, while Honey Toast was a close second in the Toowoomba Cup.

QRIC commissioner Ross Barnett said the swabs taken from seven horses last Saturday morning and other items seized continue to be the subject of scientific analysis.

“The allocation of prizemoney won by the horses under investigation has been suspended pending the final outcome,” he said.

However, QRIC stated Currie had not been stood down and said rumours of his horses not being permitted to train at Clifford Park yesterday morning were wrong.