Trainer’s new ban

THOROUGHBRED trainer Mark Ganderton has been disqualified for nine months as a result of one of his horses returning a positive swab after winning at Launceston earlier this year.

A swab taken from Fighting Phoenix on March 28 was positive to anti-inflammatory drug Phenylbutazone.

At the inquiry in Launceston yesterday, Ganderton pleaded guilty to presenting Fighting Phoenix to a race meeting when not free of a prohibited substance.

Chief steward Scott Quill said the trainer had appealed against the severity of the penalty but that stewards had denied him a stay of proceedings that would have allowed him to continue to train until his appeal was heard.

When deliberating on penalty, Quill said stewards considered Ganderton’s record and that Fighting Phoenix was only his 14th starter since he returned from disqualification.

He had only one runner engaged at Devonport on Sunday, Ancona in a class one handicap.

Stewards advised Ganderton they wished to give the owners of Ancona the opportunity to transfer the horse to another stable so he can run contest Sunday’s race.

“Evidence presented at the inquiry suggested that the possible cause of the positive swab was through crosscontamination, in that another horse in Ganderton’s stable was being treated at the time,” Quill said.

“However, stewards couldn’t be satisfied that was the sole reason.”

Fighting Phoenix was disqualified, with the placings amended to Silkstone being declared the winner ahead of Fiveandfurther and Gee Gee Pureblonde.

A date has yet to be determined for the appeal.