KEY POINTS:
Jockey Hayden Tinsley says he will continue to use a prescribed diuretic if required, despite being fined $1000 at a hearing in Hamilton at the weekend.
Diuretics have been used by many jockeys to reduce fluid in the body and have been known to cause severe dehydration.
Tinsley, of Palmerston North, has battled with his weight for most of his career.
He said he could drop 2kg by using the diuretic called Frusemide.
"I can understand the reasons why they have banned them but to my knowledge, no one has ever died or caused injury through using them," Tinsley said.
"There are so many other issues that they should be looking at."
If officials continued to test him for the substance he would quit riding, he said.
New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing outlawed diuretics from January 1.
Tinsley was the first jockey to test positive, following a ride at Te Rapa on February 3.
He was fined $1000 after pleading guilty to the charge.
He told officials that he had used a diuretic pill on the day that he was tested. He planned to continue using the prescribed medication if needed.
"I see it as a legitimate tool of my trade. I've been using it for 15 years and it has not caused me one problem," he said.
- NZPA
