McDonald faces doping charges

CAMBRIDGE trainer Brett McDonald was yesterday charged with administering the pain-killing drug phenylbutazone to four runners at the Ruakaka trials, including the horse which broke both its front legs and crashed, seriously injuring jockey Christopher Dell.

The Racing Integrity Unit charged McDonald, father of champion jockey James McDonald, and his stable foreman Tanya Donaldson, after a two-month investigation over the December 9 incident.

When stewards took post mortem samples from the horse Dell rode, an unnamed three-yearold by Lucky Unicorn, they found phenylbutazone, a pain killer and anti-inflammatory drug which is banned on raceday and at trials.

The horse fell free of interference during its trial when it broke both its front legs, sending Dell crashing to the ground.

Dell, 22, lay on the track for more than an hour as medics attended to him and he was placed in an induced coma then taken by helicopter to Auckland Hospital. The trials were abandoned.

RIU general manager Mike Godber said a post-mortem examination of the horse, which was put down, found bute in its system.

The case mirrors one in Perth in October 2002 when an unraced two-year-old broke a foreleg in a trial at Belmont Park.

The horse’s rider Jason Oliver, brother of Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Damien Oliver, sustained horrific injuries and died the lowing day.

Trainer Steve Wolf was disqualified for two years after phenylbutazone was found in his horse.

Dell said he was shocked when he heard about his mount having bute in its system.

‘‘Horses have bute all the time but I don’t know if it’s common at the trials.’’

He said the enormity of the disclosure was still sinking in but anger was one of the emotions he was dealing with.

He was just thankful that he wasn’t more seriously injured.

After being in a coma for nine days, he is now about to embark on a fitness programme and start running again.

‘‘I’m pretty much back to normal except I can’t ride, or drive, or drink.

‘‘I’ve been stood down for six months and don’t know when I can ride work again or ride at the trials but that’s my big goal now. I’m on 89 wins and want to get to 100.’’

Dell’s mother, Birdie, said she couldn’t believe what a miraculous recovery her son had made.

‘‘Chris is a very lucky person, he could quite easily have died.

‘‘I’m disappointed that something like this could have happened. Hopefully they’ll do something about it so it doesn’t happen again.’’

If McDonald and Donaldson are found guilty of what is deemed a serious racing offence, they face disqualification for any period up to life and/or a fine of up to $50,000.

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