Quick action looms after Currie makes application Trainer ban review
AN INTERNAL review of the decision to stand down banned Queensland trainer Ben Currie pending the resolution of animal cruelty charges against him will be heard at 9.30am tomorrow.
As a result the trainer’s fiveyear-old gelding Eight Over cannot run at the Gold Coast today. Currie is also unable to accept today with any horses for Saturday’s Eagle Farm meeting.
The Queensland Racing Integrity Commission suspended Toowoomba trainer Currie’s licence on Monday night.
Currie failed to convince stewards he should be allowed to continue to train horses in the state.
The already accused Currie was last Friday hit with seven further charges relating to allegations of “serious animal cruelty”, including the use of “jiggers”.
Currie yesterday lodged an application for an internal review. Under Queensland rules the reviewer has 20 working days to hear the case and it does not carry an automatic stay.
But Currie’s legal team can now seek a hearing before the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal for an urgent stay application.
On Monday night, Currie issued a statement to the owners of his horses.
“Your horses’ welfare has always been my first concern and I will continue to dispute any claims otherwise,” Currie said.
Currie is listed to appear in the Supreme Court on Friday for a judicial review of legal matters pertaining to other unrelated charges. He is facing 28 charges arising from a raid on his Toowoomba stables in April and a further four positive swab charges.
• TRAINER Jason Warren said he was not concerned with Blue Diamond fancy Brooklyn Hustle drawing an awkward barrier for Saturday’s $1.5 million race.
Warren was more buoyed by the fact his filly had benefited from a familiarisation trip to Caulfield yesterday morning.
“For a filly like her, it probably suits her pattern (to draw wide), so I don’t think it is a drama,” Warren said.
Warren and jockey Beau Mertens were glowing about the filly’s early morning work yesterday, following her slightly wayward performance when fourth in the Blue Diamond Prelude last Saturday week.
Brooklyn Hustle worked alongside older horse Belsonic on the course proper and charged hard at the line.
“We had the option of galloping her at Pakenham, but we thought given the way she got around the (Caulfield) home turn in the Prelude, this just gave her another look at the track,” Warren said.
“She just settled in behind the other horse (Belsonic) and when he (Mertens) gave her a click, she picked up and quickened up nicely.”
Mertens is chasing his first Group 1 win and is delighted to be back on board the filly after Ben Melham opted to ride Anthony Freedman’s colt I Am Immortal. He’s convinced Brooklyn Hustle’s Moonee Valley win was no fluke.
“We all saw how impressive she was. . . she ran really well and put away a couple of nice horses,” he said.