Racing: Cropp hearing adjourned

The Lisa Cropp hearing into a positive test she returned to the class A drug methamphetamine has been adjourned until next Thursday.

Yesterday, the fifth of the Judicial Control Authority hearing arising from a positive Cropp returned to a routine drugs test at Te Rapa in May, centred on argument by Cropp's lawyers that she has no case to answer because the correct procedures were not followed.

This was strenuously disputed by Simon Moore for the informant, New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing.

Issues involved included whether a section of the Racing Act added in 2003 took precedence over the rules of racing in filing such informations, and in what form a racecourse inspector had to receive consent from New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing's chief executive before bringing an information such as those Cropp is facing.

Mr Moore has asked the two-man tribunal for a ruling on the appropriate process for filing informations.

Further submissions are to be heard before the tribunal makes its decision on the no-case-to-answer application.

The defence has indicated its case would take about three days.

Twelve days ago Cropp set a new record for the number of wins in a season by a New Zealand jockey and became the first woman to win the jockeys' premiership.

Cropp could be disqualified for up to 12 months and fined up to $10,000 if found guilty. * Cropp's grip on the New Zealand jockey of the year award has loosened after the judges raised concerns about the hearing.

NZTR confirmed the jockey award wouldn't be presented at their annual awards dinner in Christchurch tomorrow.

Instead, the judging panel will reconvene after the hearing.

Cropp's agent said she would ride in Sydney on Saturday.