Leading trainer Geoff Small could be facing a huge battle to keep his trainer's licence.
Small, no stranger to controversy in recent years, is facing a fresh investigation after his champion pacer Changeover returned a positive swab after his win in the A$100,000 Len Smith Mile at Menangle in April.
Changeover tested positive for the anti-bleeding drug tranexamic acid after his career-fastest win in the group one event on April 26.
Small was advised of the test results on Friday but has yet to receive any paperwork on the exact details or what happens next.
NSW authorities will open their investigation this week and Small seems almost certain to be charged and that could lead to a possible loss of licence for the South Auckland trainer.
Small has been down this path before, having faced charges relating to positive swabs and driving tactics, some involving Changeover, last year.
But for all the controversy they caused, those charges were never likely to end in a disqualification of his training licence as the substances involved - caffeine, DMSO and Boost - were not at the more serious end of the drug spectrum, with precedents for fines to be handed down.
That is not the case in Australia, particularly New South Wales, where trainers found guilty of drug charges are routinely disqualified.
"I can't comment on this specific case because I don't know the background but over here almost any trainer found guilty in a drug case loses their licence," said a senior NSW harness racing administrator.
While Small has yet to be charged, it appears certain he will be and just as certain Changeover will lose the race.
Then the onus will be on Small to provide evidence how or why the substances ended up in Changeover's system on raceday.
And even if he can do that, Australian officials are known to be extremely unforgiving in such cases, so the latest investigation is far more serious for Small than anything he faced during his New Zealand hearings. Unlike in New Zealand, any charges look set to be heard quickly.
NSW Harness Racing chairman of stewards Michael Beattie said setting a date for the inquiry to continue was a high priority.
"I've told Mr Small I want this to happen ASAP, but I realise he might need some time to prepare," Beattie said. "We'll be ready to go with the inquiry next week and we hope Mr Small will be as well."
Beattie said he was unaware of any other Australian inquiry into tranexamic acid.
"It's a new one to me, but we're doing plenty of research on it," he said.
Changeover has already lost one group one race, the Sires' Stakes Final because of a positive to caffeine, while he was at the centre of the infamous Sales Series Pace driving controversy.
But he also won the New Zealand Cup this season in record time.
Racing: Small faces battle to keep licence
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