Two men charged after horse allegedly administered prohibited substance on Cup Day

The horse was scratched from a race with a total stake of $140,000. Photo / George Heard.

Two men have been charged after a horse was allegedly administered a prohibited substance to a horse on the morning of Cup Day.

Rakero Rebel was a late scratch from Race 7 at Christchurch’s Addington Raceway on November 8. The race had a total stake of $140,000.

Racing Integrity Board (RIB) chief executive Mike Clement earlier told the Herald investigators carried out a stable visit at a North Canterbury property and scratched the horse under rule 213 (1) c of the harness racing rules.

That rule says a stipendiary steward may at any time scratch a horse from a race or declare it ineligible to start in a race if the horse has had, or may have had, administered to it a prohibited substance.

Horses are not allowed to be administered any substance on race day.

On Friday, the RIB announced it had concluded its investigation and had charged two men with three infringements of the Harness Racing New Zealand rules of racing.

“Both will face charges of administration of a prohibited substance and administration within one clear day.

“One of the men will face a charge of associating with a prohibited person and the other will face a charge of acting in contravention of an HRNZ notice or direction.”

Rakero Rebel’s trainer Phil Burrows earlier declined to comment to the Herald.

“I have got nothing to say,” he said.