Birchley pushes on amid race drug probe

ACCUSED trainer Liam Birchley has proclaimed his innocence as Queensland Integrity Commissioner Ross Barnett gave him the green light to continue training in the wake of the potentially explosive Melbourne Cup doping scandal.

Birchley is one of eight people charged with offences following an investigation that stemmed from the alleged race day treatment of the Robert Smerdon trained Lovani at Flemington last October.

Text messages published yesterday alleged Birchley requested “a top up” for a horse at Flemington on Melbourne Cup day, 2015. He saddled Pop ‘N’ Scotch that day, when the horse finished ninth in a support race on the card.

In a statement released yesterday, Brisbane-based Birchley’s lawyer Travis Schultz said his client had never had a horse in his care return a positive swab and that he was “shocked by the allegations”.

“The only evidence which Racing Victoria stewards have provided to us relies on their interpretation of text message exchanges,” Schultz said.

“This overlooks the only direct evidence, which was that the stewards’ own testing of Mr Birchley’s horses revealed no abnormalities.

“My client is proud of his unblemished history as a thoroughbred trainer in Queensland and looks forward to the opportunity to clear his name when the hearing commences on 28 April.”

Birchley has agreed with Racing Victoria not to race horses in that state but is free to train in other states.

Barnett said the decision to allow Birchley to continue training in Queensland had to be balanced between his presumption of innocence and the perception of integrity in the industry.

“The evidence has been reviewed by the senior stewards and the Director of Licensing and Stewarding and they have come to the view Mr Birchley should be allowed to continue training here for the time being. It remains a fluid situation,” Barnett said.