Harness stable to face investigation

Racing’s Integrity Unit has confirmed it is investigating positive drug tests at a high-profile harness stable.

RIU general manager Mike Godber confirmed it involved tests taken from four horses trained by prominent Canterbury horseman Robert Dunn.

Dunn is in the most successful bracket of New Zealand trainers, second only to the powerful Purdon and Rasmussen stable in recent seasons. The Dunn family is well-known in harness racing in both New Zealand and Australia, with the trainer’s sons Dexter and John hugely successful harness drivers.

The tests were taken from stable runners at the two-day Nelson meeting held in early June.

The investigation is likely to take until next week before the RIU establishes what action will follow.

‘‘We will know more about where we are with the investigation in a week or so,’’ Godber said.

Meanwhile greyhound participants found guilty of roles in a brawl that finished with threats of gang involvement, have been handed hefty penalties by the RIU.

Adam Jenkins, Kellie Gommans and Darcy Poutama were found guilty of engaging in conduct detrimental to the image of greyhound racing.

The trio contested the charges at a JCA hearing held at Awapuni last month which concluded with decisions reserved at the conclusion of the twoday sitting.

Guilty verdicts were subsequently reached and fines totalling $8,000 for the trio were announced this week along with costs totalling $9,150.

Poutama and Gommans were fined $2500 and ordered to pay costs of $3050 apiece. Jenkins was fined $3000 and also ordered to pay $3050 in costs.

At the time of the hearing, the JCA committee made note of the fact that despite all five individuals who provided affidavits, living in or close to Palmerston North, not one of them attended the hearing.

In another case, leading greyhound trainer John McInerney was fined $2500 by the RIU and ordered to pay costs of $2,042 and had two dogs disqualified after winning and returning positive swabs.

Wheelchair Norm and Joey Baxter won their respective races at a Southland meeting and tested positive to Ketaprofen after routine swabs were taken. It was established the drug had come from contaminated meat with McInerney admitting the charges.