At a stewards inquiry on Monday trainer David Vandyke was hit with a $12,000 fine and had his horse disqualified after one of his gallopers returned a positive swab.
Vandyke had been training from his Warwick Farm base and also from a Randwick stable, and it was a horse from his Randwick stable, two-year-old filly Queen Tara, that tested positive for Ipratropium after finishing runner-up in a Wyong maiden on April 30.
Ipratropium is a “human prescribed drug used on horses under veterinary direction as a bronco dilator”.
Vandyke pleaded guilty under AR 178 of having presented Queen Tara to race with the prohibited substance, Ipratropium, in its system.
Racing NSW stewards found that communication protocols put in place with his senior personnel at Randwick were deficient and that the withdrawal time for Ipratropium provided by the Randwick stable veterinarian was not correct.
The five day official withdrawal time required for the use of Ipratropium was mistakenly advised as three days by the Randwick-based veterinarian, hence the positive result.
On the advice of Dr Craig Suann, RNSW Senior Official Veterinarian, the stewards accepted that the administration of Ipratropium to Queen Tara had occurred outside three days prior to race-day, but within the five day recommended withdrawal period.
All previous Ipratropium thoroughbred positives Australia-wide have been dealt with by way of a fine.
Vandyke ceased training from his Randwick stable in early June.
www.racenet.com.au
Paul Joice