Currie faces new substance charge

TRAINER Ben Currie is facing a fourth positive swab charge, the latest owing to a prohibited substance detected in a sample taken from the winner Dreamscope at Toowoomba on September 16.

Dreamscope was first-up since January and won as a $2.10 favourite.

It follows news late last month that Currie (pictured) is facing a stewards inquiry over positive swabs to three of his horses relating to races at Kilcoy last December, Toowoomba in January this year and Rockhampton in July. The Queensland Racing Integrity Commission will hear the latest positive swab inquiry in conjunction with the other three, which have been set down for January 14.

These are separate to the 28 charges stewards levelled at Currie following a protracted inquiry into alleged race-day treatment of his horses at Toowoomba on April 7.

The raceday treatment hearing will not resume until the outcome of a Supreme Court judicial review sought by the trainer’s legal reps, scheduled for February 22, is known.