Currie hit by guilty verdict
BEN Currie was found guilty of two charges relating to the alleged intent to use an electrical device by Queensland Racing Integrity stewards yesterday.
The verdict comes after three days of deliberations from the stewards’ panel, after Currie’s submissions were presented to stewards on Monday.
Stewards found the trainer guilty of engaging in an improper action following an investigation into text messages relating to the intention to use an electronic apparatus capable of affecting the performance of two horses. The breaches relate to the horses Massive Attack in 2015 and Said Written in 2016 when Currie was their trainer.
Currie has been asked to make submissions on penalty, believed to be due Tuesday. Guilty findings under this rule can attract a disqualification.
Currie was issued with two charges in early April under AR175(n) or in the alternate AR175(a).
After initial submissions from Currie’s legal representatives, stewards decided not to pursue 175(n), which states stewards may penalise “Any person who in their opinion commits or commissions an act of cruelty to a horse, or is in possession or control of any article or thing which, in their opinion, has been made or modified to make it capable of inflicting cruelty to a horse.”
Instead, they pursued the alternative charge of 175(a) which includes “any person who, in their opinion, has been guilty of any improper or dishonourable action.”
It is this charge on which Currie has been found guilty.
This is the first guilty finding by stewards against Currie since the investigation into his stable began in April last year. In total, there have been 37 charges levelled at the trainer.