Race day doping probe comes at bad time for horse racing industry, but trainers boss says important for level playing field

ROBBIE Griffiths says everyone in racing just wants a level playing field. The latest probe into allegations of race day doping are evidence authorities are chasing that, RUSSELL GOULD writes.

Robbie Griffiths says every trainer wants a level playing field amid the latest allegations of race day doping. Picture: Mark Dadswell

EVERYONE in racing just wants a level playing field and the latest investigation into allegations of race day doping is evidence that integrity operations are constantly chasing just that.

Australian Trainers’ Association president Robbie Griffiths said the timing of the latest investigation wasn’t a great look for the industry when more eyes than usual were on it.

But as the third day of the Flemington carnival continued unaffected by the potential storm brewing, Griffiths said it was important not everyone in racing was tarred with the same brush.

“It all comes as a little bit of a shock to us all,” Griffiths, who had four runners at Flemington yesterday, said.

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Robbie Griffiths says every trainer wants a level playing field amid the latest allegations of race day doping. Picture: Mark Dadswell

“From an industry point of view it’s a terrible time. We don’t want our brand knocked around. On the flip side of it all, every trainer, even those who might be being questioned at the moment, wants a level playing field.

“Racing, like any other sport, spends a lot of money on integrity. All the horses here today are tested pre-race and post-race. All the videos of how horses have been ridden, their tactics in other races, it all gets looked at.

“The industry spends a lot of money to make sure it is a level playing field and I think it’s fair to say it is. If there is an isolated case of something, it literally is an isolated case compared to the volume of runners every day around Australia.”

Racing Victoria chief steward Terry Bailey confirmed the investigation, which began after Lovani, trained by Robert Smerdon, was scratched from the final race at Flemington on October 7 after suspected race day treatment, was nearing completion.

Chief Steward Terry Bailey has given no timetable for the laying of any possible charges. Picture: Getty Images

But RV also has no timetable on the laying of any possible charges after the investigation broadened to include several licensed people being questioned in the weeks since that meeting.

Bailey said the “innuendo” which has followed reports around the investigation was not something he could control.

“A fair bit of time elapsed before we started carrying out further investigations and further interviews,” he said.

“As soon as we started interviewing people then the innuendo and the gossip starts. We can’t control that.”

RV chief executive Giles Thompson would not comment on details around the investigation, or on the effect of the latest allegations on the spring carnival.

But he said the industry was committed to ensuring any illegal activity was stamped out, and integrity protected.

“I’m not worried about it. We will investigate and prosecute as appropriate on any particular matter,” Thompson said.

“The important thing that we have in racing is that we have fair racing and that all participants get a chance to engage in racing on a fair basis.”

Caulfield trainer Smerdon, one of seven trainers believed to have been interviewed by stewards as part of their investigation, was not at Flemington to attend to his runner in the final race, Divine Messenger.

Trainer Robert Smerdon was interviewed by stewards as part of the investigation. Picture: AAP