WA racehorse trainer Takahide Ikenushi hit with major penalties after positive drug swab
Perth trainer Takahide Ikenushi and his galloper Magicash’s owners have been hit with penalties totalling almost $35,000 when stewards flagged harsher crackdowns on prohibited drugs.
Stipes, who have faced a series of recent WA positive swab cases, sternly warned trainers that penalties would be ramped up to disqualifications because fines failed to deter offenders.
Disqualifications trigger immediate world-wide bans from racecourses.
Magicash, trained by former Perth jockey Ikenushi, tested positive to anabolic steroid trendione when winning at Bunbury on June 12.
On completion of a lengthy inquiry, the mare’s owners have been ordered to forfeit stakes totalling $18,760.
They were also dealt a heavy blow when the mare was banned from racing or trialling for 12 months. She cannot return until stringent tests prove she is clear of anabolic steroids.
Ikenushi says he followed vets’ advice when treating Magcish before her Bunbury win.
But impatient stipes have announced they will no longer tolerate excuses. They said future penalties would be more severe than Ikenishi’s $15,000 fine.
“We make it clear that this penalty is not intended to represent a long-term precedent,” stewards said in a statement after the Magicash inquiry.
“In our view, disqualifications would be more appropriate in most instances involving similar offences, in the future.
“Penalties of disqualification are now likely to result when these substances are detected. Fines do not reflect the seriousness of such offences and are an insufficient deterrent, in our view.”
Ikenush was fined $15,000 for breaching racing-prohibited drug regulations and $750 because he did not maintain a record of vet treatments for horses in his stable, as required under industry rules.
Stewards disqualified Magicash from her Bunbury win on June 12 and the $16,440 first prize was forfeited. The mare, who has started twice since the win, was also disqualified from those races. She earned a total of $2320 when running fifth and 11th in Belmont Park events on June 22 and July 10.
Closing the probe, stipes issued their ruling Magicash would not be permitted to race or contest barrier trials for a year.
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