Trainer fined for racing a doped horse for a second time

Scott Dickson has been fined a second time for presenting a horse with a banned substance in its system.

The owner of a racehorse has been fined $14,000 after he was found guilty of racing a horse with a banned substance in its system.

It's the second time in four years Scott Dickson has been penalised by the Racing Integrity Board after excess carbon monoxide was detected in his horses.

These tests are done to detect the presence of sodium bicarbonate or other alkali substances which help prevent the buildup of lactic acid - giving a racehorse an advantage in endurance events.

Typically sodium bicarbonate - or baking soda - can be added to an animal's feed, or mixed with water, sugar and is pumped into the animal's stomach through a tube in their nostril in a process known as "milkshaking".

Dickson's horse El Dorado was randomly-selected for a carbon-monoxide test after finishing last at a race in Hawera in February.

El Dorado returned an elevated carbon monoxide reading of 37.7 millimetres per litre of blood - the maximum limit is 36mmo/l.

In 2018 another one of Dickson's horses called Magical Moe was found with the highest post-race carbon monoxide reading in 17 years - 39.2 mmol/l and he was fined $9200.

Dickson denied intentionally doping El Dorado and told the board he had no idea how the positive result could have occurred.

His partner - also trainer - is responsible for feeding all the horses on their property and samples taken from their feed returned a negative result.

Five of his horses have been tested subsequently and all returned negative results, including El Dorado.

"I am at a loss to explain what has caused the increased level. The horse was definitely not administered anything of any sort on the particular race day and to my knowledge only ingested his usual morning feed," Dickson said in his submission to the board.

"I can only assume he was affected by dehydration in which we had been battling with most of our horses due to the hot humid weather during the summer months."

"It also became apparent following the race El Dorado was showing signs of a possible virus. The horse unusually seemed 'nervous' on arrival to Hawera also indicating he was not right. We did not get El Dorado vetted, instead opting to spell him and not waste more money."

In its decision the board said its hands were tied as this was the first instance where a trainer had been found in breach for a second time since the carbon monoxide threshold was raised in 2015.

"At the time of the increase the HRNZ Board made it clear that there was a "firm expectation" that it expects a "stiffer regime of penalties" for subsequent breaches of the new threshold," they said.

Usually a breach of this nature would garner a disqualification, but as Dickson's partner is also a trainer it wasn't deemed practical to enforce.