Tubing: Trainer faces criminal charges and ban
Jul 6, 2013 13:06:26 GMT -5
Post by Jon on Jul 6, 2013 13:06:26 GMT -5
Problems everywhere., Always a way around "drug rules"
Some info:
Milkshaking:
The "milkshake" has enjoyed some popularity as a performance-enhancer for racehorses, although it is banned in all racing jurisdictions. This "milkshake" doesn’t involve milk and syrup; the primary ingredient is sodium bicarbonate, commonly known as baking soda.
This metabolic milkshake is proposed to work on high school chemistry principles of acid/base neutralization. With high-intensity exercise, there is a build-up of lactic acid in muscles, leading to fatigue. The theory is that high doses of bicarbonate make blood and muscle tissue less acidic, providing buffering capacity to offset the build-up of lactic acid, enabling the horse to go farther, faster, with less fatigue. It is given via a nasogastric tube.
The practice of milkshaking is believed to have originated in Australia in Standardbreds. In the United States, it is also more commonly employed in Standardbreds, but has been tried in Thoroughbreds. One racetrack practitioner says there was a time prior to milkshakes being illegal when veterinarians would give electrolytes with or without bicarbonate to racehorses prior to a race, especially during hot, humid summers. But they abandoned the practice even before it was banned because of the appearance of tubing a horse on race day and the perception that the concoction was performance-enhancing.
A milkshake consists of several ounces of sodium bicarbonate dissolved in a gallon of water. Other ingredients might include confectionery sugar, electrolytes, or nutritional substances such as creatine (thought to increase endurance). The theory is that milkshakes must be given four to eight hours prior to a race to have the desired effect at post time.
Tubing:
BICARB In large doses can “mop up” the lactic acid that comes with muscle activity. Commonly known as a milkshake, it allows the horse to sustain a run for longer. It is a very common practice with as much as 600grams being administered in a single dose. Trainers often would administer a spoonful to a horse each day to help with their recovery after hard work. More recently, tubing has become the norm as it ensures every bit of the solution reaches the horse’s stomach. A bicarb (TCO2) stomach drench is popular with many trainers as it has been found that bicarb helps buffer lactic acid. As bicarb is naturally produced, it cannot be banned entirely. Instead, there is a threshold level of 36 millimoles a litre plasma total carbon dioxide. Any reading over that constitutes an offence.
Trainer could face criminal charges and disqualification over allegations of tubing
Rosehill trainer Greg Mcfarlane conceded his actions were "dumb - stupid” when caught with drenching equipment up the nose of Ferocimo "three hours” before the P & F Avellino 50th Aniversary Handicap (1500m) at Rosehill on Saturday.
Mcfarlane and his employee, Carmen Hepburn, who was holding the horse during the treatment, face a minimum 12-month disqualification after the Australian Racing Board implemented harsh penalties for "stomach-tubing, attempting to stomach-tube, cause to be stomach-tubed or be a party to the stomach-tubing” earlier this year.
More seriously, Mcfarlane could also face up to 10 years imprisonment under recently introduced changes to the NSW Crimes Act relating to those found guilty of fraudulent conduct or have inside information that potentially could affect betting outcomes on a horse race.
Under part 4ACA of the Crimes Act, it is now an offence if the conduct of any person corrupts the betting outcome of an event, or if that conduct is likely to affect the outcome of any type of betting on the event, or if a person gets an unfair advantage from inside or privileged information.
In May, trainer Cody Morgan became the first licensed person NSW police charged under the Crimes Act amendments after police caught the trainer and another man allegedly "drenching" Prussian Secret prior to the Gunnedah Cup.
Mcfarlane was caught out by Racing NSW racecourse detective Albert Gardner "at around 1.10pm” on Saturday. Gardner said Hepburn "appeared to be surprised” at his arrival.
Mcfarlane denied the horse had been treated saying "it didn’t get done” but the horse had the hose up its nose and the "funnel and bucket with fluid” was in the horse’s box.
Initially he denied the horse being treated was Ferocimo, a grey, claiming it was another member of his stable Belegic, which is bay.
"I was doing a lot of them and I just thought, I dunno dumb – stupid,” Mcfarlane said in evidence.
"It is a serious matter. Against the rules of racing.”
Stewards confiscated the tubing equipment, contents found in the bucket and sachets taken from the stables and Mcfarlane’s car to undergo testing. Gardner said "there was a bit of jostle” between himself and the trainer when he attempted to confiscate the jeans he wearing during the treatment of Ferocimo.
Mcfarlane, who had changed into his suit to attend the races, finally handed them over and "white powder in a glad snap bag” was found in a pocket of the jeans.
Ferocimo was a late scratching while stewards also ordered blood and urine samples be taken from the galloper to assess "the TC02 levels".
Mcfarlane was granted permission by stewards to continue training but they applied Australian Racing Rule AR50 to refuse his horses being nominated until the matter is finalised.
The matter has been adjourned to a date and time to be fixed.
Clinton Payne
racenet,.com.au
Some info:
Milkshaking:
The "milkshake" has enjoyed some popularity as a performance-enhancer for racehorses, although it is banned in all racing jurisdictions. This "milkshake" doesn’t involve milk and syrup; the primary ingredient is sodium bicarbonate, commonly known as baking soda.
This metabolic milkshake is proposed to work on high school chemistry principles of acid/base neutralization. With high-intensity exercise, there is a build-up of lactic acid in muscles, leading to fatigue. The theory is that high doses of bicarbonate make blood and muscle tissue less acidic, providing buffering capacity to offset the build-up of lactic acid, enabling the horse to go farther, faster, with less fatigue. It is given via a nasogastric tube.
The practice of milkshaking is believed to have originated in Australia in Standardbreds. In the United States, it is also more commonly employed in Standardbreds, but has been tried in Thoroughbreds. One racetrack practitioner says there was a time prior to milkshakes being illegal when veterinarians would give electrolytes with or without bicarbonate to racehorses prior to a race, especially during hot, humid summers. But they abandoned the practice even before it was banned because of the appearance of tubing a horse on race day and the perception that the concoction was performance-enhancing.
A milkshake consists of several ounces of sodium bicarbonate dissolved in a gallon of water. Other ingredients might include confectionery sugar, electrolytes, or nutritional substances such as creatine (thought to increase endurance). The theory is that milkshakes must be given four to eight hours prior to a race to have the desired effect at post time.
Tubing:
BICARB In large doses can “mop up” the lactic acid that comes with muscle activity. Commonly known as a milkshake, it allows the horse to sustain a run for longer. It is a very common practice with as much as 600grams being administered in a single dose. Trainers often would administer a spoonful to a horse each day to help with their recovery after hard work. More recently, tubing has become the norm as it ensures every bit of the solution reaches the horse’s stomach. A bicarb (TCO2) stomach drench is popular with many trainers as it has been found that bicarb helps buffer lactic acid. As bicarb is naturally produced, it cannot be banned entirely. Instead, there is a threshold level of 36 millimoles a litre plasma total carbon dioxide. Any reading over that constitutes an offence.
Trainer could face criminal charges and disqualification over allegations of tubing
Rosehill trainer Greg Mcfarlane conceded his actions were "dumb - stupid” when caught with drenching equipment up the nose of Ferocimo "three hours” before the P & F Avellino 50th Aniversary Handicap (1500m) at Rosehill on Saturday.
Mcfarlane and his employee, Carmen Hepburn, who was holding the horse during the treatment, face a minimum 12-month disqualification after the Australian Racing Board implemented harsh penalties for "stomach-tubing, attempting to stomach-tube, cause to be stomach-tubed or be a party to the stomach-tubing” earlier this year.
More seriously, Mcfarlane could also face up to 10 years imprisonment under recently introduced changes to the NSW Crimes Act relating to those found guilty of fraudulent conduct or have inside information that potentially could affect betting outcomes on a horse race.
Under part 4ACA of the Crimes Act, it is now an offence if the conduct of any person corrupts the betting outcome of an event, or if that conduct is likely to affect the outcome of any type of betting on the event, or if a person gets an unfair advantage from inside or privileged information.
In May, trainer Cody Morgan became the first licensed person NSW police charged under the Crimes Act amendments after police caught the trainer and another man allegedly "drenching" Prussian Secret prior to the Gunnedah Cup.
Mcfarlane was caught out by Racing NSW racecourse detective Albert Gardner "at around 1.10pm” on Saturday. Gardner said Hepburn "appeared to be surprised” at his arrival.
Mcfarlane denied the horse had been treated saying "it didn’t get done” but the horse had the hose up its nose and the "funnel and bucket with fluid” was in the horse’s box.
Initially he denied the horse being treated was Ferocimo, a grey, claiming it was another member of his stable Belegic, which is bay.
"I was doing a lot of them and I just thought, I dunno dumb – stupid,” Mcfarlane said in evidence.
"It is a serious matter. Against the rules of racing.”
Stewards confiscated the tubing equipment, contents found in the bucket and sachets taken from the stables and Mcfarlane’s car to undergo testing. Gardner said "there was a bit of jostle” between himself and the trainer when he attempted to confiscate the jeans he wearing during the treatment of Ferocimo.
Mcfarlane, who had changed into his suit to attend the races, finally handed them over and "white powder in a glad snap bag” was found in a pocket of the jeans.
Ferocimo was a late scratching while stewards also ordered blood and urine samples be taken from the galloper to assess "the TC02 levels".
Mcfarlane was granted permission by stewards to continue training but they applied Australian Racing Rule AR50 to refuse his horses being nominated until the matter is finalised.
The matter has been adjourned to a date and time to be fixed.
Clinton Payne
racenet,.com.au