THE SUNSHINE COAST NEWSPAPER COLUMN - DRUG TESTING PROCEDURE REVIEW FOR WORK RIDERS WILL BE WELCOMED

By Graham Potter | Sunday, June 16, 2013

Graham Potter writes a weekly column for the Sunshine Coast daily. Due to demand from those having trouble accessing the paper these columns are now also published on HRO courtesy of the Sunshine Coast daily

It won’t make front page news but that doesn’t make it any less important. In fact, leading trainer Robert Heathcote is quite excited about the possibility of it being a watershed moment, a time when the sometimes seemingly combative elements in racing at last came together to reach a compromise which, in turn, promises to produce a common-sense solution which is acceptable to all.

The particular matter in question relates to charges laid against certain work-riders following a drug testing exercise held by stewards at Eagle Farm recently. Heathcote, amongst others, had members of his staff test positive to substances banned on the Racing Queensland control list, but he was adamant that all his staff were guilty of was taking some over the counter codral cold relief tablets and, given those circumstances, he was very unhappy with the suspension and fine penalties that were imposed.

Writing in his personal blog on horseracingonly.com.au this week, Heathcote was at pains to point out that he had no issue with actual actions taken by any stewards who he acknowledged were only doing their job in a manner dictated by the current rules of racing.

He also had no problem with ‘riders who put themselves and others at risk through use of recreational drugs’ being ‘policed and punished’ … but he did have a problem where genuine cases of ordinary medicinal treatment for the likes of the common cold or flu (like codral) placed some people in breach of a local rule and liable for punishment.

Heathcote’s point that, for people in this category, it was ‘ok to drive a motor vehicle to work and back but don’t ride a horse,’ arguably helped highlight the foolishness of it all.

And he was prepared to take the matter further.

Heathcote made more than one representation to racing authorities highlighting what he believed to be an unacceptable situation. His representations reached as far as Kevin Dixon, the Chairman of the Racing Queensland Board, who was holidaying in Ireland, as well making contact with Wade Birch, Racing Queensland’s Chief Steward.

All Heathcote was asking was for a bit of common-sense to prevail in this situation and his efforts in support of is staff and in challenging a rule that he was certain needed to be revisited resulted in positive, swift action from Racing Queensland.

A decision emanating from Board level was conveyed through the Chief Steward’s office to the effect that most of the recently imposed penalties in this matter have been put on hold and that an urgent review is about to take place on the issue raised by Heathcote.

As Heathcote stated in his blog, ‘Now that is progress, both in terms of authorities being proactive as well as the speed with which they have addressed this matter. The Racing Queensland Board and the steward’s panel are to be commended on that.’

It might seem an out-of-the-way matter and track-riders would be an unexpected source for bringing authorities and licensees together to open up a dialogue to improve a law which is arguably past its use-by date and needs to be redefined.

This column adds its congratulations to Heathcote for stepping up for what he believes is right and to Kevin Dixon and Wade Birch, and their respective teams, for listening and reacting quickly in a positive manner to the argument put to them.

If nothing else, goodwill has been established here and that will be a huge asset if carried forward into other matters that will need attention moving forward, from some other laws that might have to be reconsidered, to new laws that need to be formulated, to difficult decisions … all of which can only benefit from the type of mutual respect, understanding and open exchange of views that has contributed to the end result in this example relating to track-rider’s substance ‘abuse.’

One swallow doesn’t make a summer, but, if everyone in racing in Queensland is prepared to accept what happened here as a positive and look to build on it, the forecast suddenly looks a lot brighter.

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