Racing: One blot in drug testing

New Zealand thoroughbred racing had, until last week, gone three years without a horse returning a positive swab.

The copybook was blotted with the Brent Hrstich-trained Cape Princess returning a positive to phenylbutazone after winning a maiden race at Otaki on June 26. Phenylbutazone is a commonly used anti-inflammatory drug.

That result came too late to be recorded in a report by New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) chief executive Allan Fenwick which was tabled at NZTR's annual meeting in Wellington yesterday.

Fenwick retires at the end of November after 12 years as chief executive. His successor will be announced in a fortnight. There were 49 applicants for his job.

Fenwick denied the clean record was the result of inadequate testing.

Fenwick said routine raceday swabbing last year resulted in 2182 post-race urine samples, plus a small number of post-race blood samples.

Fenwick noted the number of apprentices was in decline. The arrival of applicants from overseas, mainly from southeast Asia, was keeping up numbers but their tenure of employment was not guaranteed as long term.

NZTR had made an operating surplus for the year ended March 31 of $499,000 compared to a deficit of $133,000 for the previous year. In addition there was a surplus of $1.12 million from the sale of its Wellington city property.

Betting figures up to the end of the 2003-04 season had shown a small increase. A total of $421 million in 2003-04 was bet on thoroughbred races, compared with $417 million for the previous season.

Of the $421 million, $377 million was in off-course bets and $44 million was on-course betting. Those figures compared to $369 million in off-course betting the previous year and $48 million in on-course betting.

A total of $36 million was paid in prize-money for the 2003-04 season. (up on $35 million the previous season).

- NZPA