Star trainer and jockey outed for taking banned substances

A urine test taken at a Rockhampton race meeting where she rode revealed the presence of banned substances in her system.

Leading Central Queensland trainer and jockey Trinity Bannon.

Leading Mackay trainer and jockey Trinity Bannon has failed in a bid to get a nine-month ban reduced or overturned on appeal.

In July, Queensland Racing Integrity Commission stewards hit Bannon with the disqualification after she pleaded guilty to riding at the Rockhampton race meeting on April 29 with banned substances in her system.

Bannon was charged under the rules of racing after a urine sample she provided at that race meeting was found to contain the banned substances.

What those banned substances were, were not disclosed in the QRIC stewards report on the Bannon inquiry.

Bannon’s failed appeal at QRIC internal review means the original nine-month disqualification stands.

Bannon is a dual licence holder (trainer and jockey) and the disqualification applies to both disciplines.

Trinity Bannon prepares Wild Gypsy Rose for some track work. Photo Troy Kippen/Daily Mercury.

Before handing down their original penalty, stewards were mindful of Bannon’s guilty plea, her forthright evidence, her personal circumstances and penalty precedents.

Stewards also considered Bannon’s disciplinary history which included previous breaches of this particular rule.

“The penalty for this (latest) breach must serve as a specific deterrent to Ms Bannon and also a general deterrent to the wider industry to illustrate that the use of banned substances, especially when engaged to ride in races, will not be tolerated,” the stewards report read.

Under the rules of racing, Bannon must provide a urine sample free of any banned substances prior to being relicensed.

In January, Bannon’s “Bannon’s Racing” Facebook page highlighted the fact that she was one of the leading trainers in Central Queensland, showing her season 2020/21 winning strike rate was an impressive 38.7 per cent at provincial race meetings.

At that stage, Bannon had trained 24 winners for the season, which was equal to her entire winners’ tally from the previous season.