BRC bans Currie from courses after charges
ACCUSED trainer Ben Currie has been banned from entering Brisbane racetracks but is permitted to have horses race at Doomben and Toowoomba today despite being hit with seven charges relating to allegations of “serious animal welfare” issues.
The Brisbane Racing Club advised Currie last night that he was banned from entering Eagle Farm and Doomben courses until further notice.
Currie was told the BRC had used its powers under the Liquor Act to impose a venue ban on him.
The BRC move followed new charges being laid yesterday, including the alleged use of an electric or electronic apparatus (jigger) on two horses in mid-2016.
A jigger is the same device that brought about the downfall and four-year disqualification of Victorian trainer Darren Weir this month.
There is also a charge issued over a horse being subjected to shockwave therapy within seven days of it racing and two charges of failing to report that two horses in Currie’s care bled, one of which was sold shortly after the alleged incident.
Currie has been ordered to front a hearing at 10am on Monday to show cause why he should not be suspended.
Racing Integrity Commissioner Ross Barnett said the “very serious nature of the animal welfare allegations that have surfaced as a result of this investigation have left us with no choice but to act now in the interests of the Queensland racing industry” but said horses would be permitted to compete today.
Trainer Rob Heathcote felt the image of the industry should have outweighed all other considerations in determining whether Currie’s 13 runners should have been allowed to run today.
“I’m disappointed that a line hasn’t been drawn in the sand,’’ Heathcote said. “These are very serious allegations relating to animal welfare.
“No horses should be allowed to run.
“It highlights the massive problem we have with QRIC’s (Queensland Racing Integrity Commission) failings in this state and particularly on a day where we see the greatest racehorse in the world (Winx) racing.”
Barnett said the impact on owners and jockeys, the fact none of the horses competing are the subject of the latest allegations and legal considerations all came into account before the decision was made to allow the horses to run.
“However this position will be reviewed after Monday’s stewards inquiry,” he said.
The latest charges emanate from the protracted investigation into Currie Racing, which was launched at Toowoomba on April 7 and include the examination of phone and computer records.
“This is not the end of the investigation and further charges may be proffered,” Barnett said.
Already facing 28 charges and additionally another four positive swabs, Currie has been training on a stay of proceedings granted at QCAT after being stood down by QRIC in June.
Neither of those inquiries has been concluded by stewards because Currie has sought a Supreme Court judicial review, which will not be heard until next month.
His father Mark, who works in his son’s stable, was disqualified for two years on several race day treatment offences from the April 7 investigation, but also secured a stay of proceedings.
His appeal at QCAT has been scheduled for May.
In Queensland in 2018-19 Ben Currie has already trained 101 winners, 64 of them on his home track at Toowoomba, where he has a strike-rate of a winner almost every three runners.