Edited by Admin

Trainers / owners are responsible for their dogs at all times and cannot blame others.Read the bottom paragraph of this document.

EXTERNAL LINK

See Page 12 of these findings : EXTERNAL LINK There is also a more famous case that resulted in a large payout by the IGB
And here's another one , see page 8: EXTERNAL LINK My point, Try and let due process take place. As Floyd Amphlett said; "By all means bury him, but only bury him if he's guilty".
In the interim, maybe the IGOBF should consider wether a 1,000 fine and no ban or suspension is sufficient for guilty findings for chloropromazine and methylphenidate positives; see page 6; here
EXTERNAL LINK and page 6 here; EXTERNAL LINK While I'm here, I don't recall the IGOBF questioning wether a 2,000 fine and no suspension or ban was just punishment for a guilty finding for positive Benzoylecgonine, see page 5 here; EXTERNAL LINK

Earlier it had been announced that all samples taken during the Derby heats up to September 2nd had been returned negative.

Now it has been confirmed that all samples taken from the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final of the BoyleSports Irish Derby have returned clear.

Of course, this is no fault of the dogs. Its Clonbrien Heros owner Kay Murphy and trainer Graham Holland who are facing the questions. They have denied they intentionally gave the dog drugs and are blaming accidental ingestion instead.

We feel we are being victimized here for something we havent done, Holland told the Times. If you know you are going to be tested when you win a race, you are not going to administer cocaine to a greyhound. Ive been training greyhounds for over 30 years and now Im accused of doping them.

The three failed tests came from samples taken at the Cork Greyhound Stadium on June 25, July 1 and July 22, the latter date coinciding with the Laurels finding. Holland is not exactly sure how his dog may have ended up with cocaine in his system, but has one theory about how a winning dog might come into contact with the illegal drug.

You can pass traces of cocaine by handling money, Holland told the Times. When a dog wins a race, people are walking up to the dog and patting it on the head. If they have cocaine on their hands, they can pass that to the dog and it can come out in a urine sample.

That does not seem terribly likely, however. While a 2007 study showed trace of amounts of cocaine on 100 per cent of currency in circulation in Ireland, its unclear how probable it is that those trace amounts could be transmitted to a persons hands, then to a dogs head and eventually the dogs bladder. For example, a 1997 study of U.S. currency by the Argonne National Laboratory said those small amounts were unlikely to rub off on hands because they become embedded in the fibres of the bill.

Clonbrien Hero is not the first dog to test positive for cocaine. This year in Florida, at least 12 greyhounds tested positive for the substance.

The fact that were seeing this over and over again indicates the industry has a drug problem, Carey Theil, executive director of industry watchdog group GREY2K USA Worldwide told The Washington Post in July.

Thiels explanation of why dogs are getting popped for cocaine isnt as innocent as Hollands.

To me, this looks like race-fixing. There does seem to be a correlation between dogs testing positive and performance, Thiel said, noting a particular dog in Florida put up her two best times while on cocaine.

There remains no evidence that cocaine boosts greyhound performance, however. Nor are there any studies that suggest cocaine would help human track and field stars. In fact, it may hurt.

Competitive athletics increases the potential of cocaines powerful adverse cardiovascular stimulating effects, Dr. Gary Wadler, a New York University School of Medicine professor and lead author of the book Drugs and the Athlete, told ESPN once, namely, life-threatening abnormal heart rhythms and heart attacks

Unlike human athletes, however, Clonbrien Heros ban likely wont be prolonged. According to the BBC, the Irish Greyhound Board will allow the dog to race again when he has been passed clear.

The trainer should have blamed the meat it would have sounded better than fans clapping it on the head or gone to spec savers he would have seen things in a different perspective.

Ger Dollard CEO of the IGB added The IGB will continue to work closely with the Department of Agriculture to address welfare issues.

The granting of increased powers to IGB is a further demonstration of the importance that the Government attaches to greyhound welfare. The IGB is pro-welfare and pro-racing; there is no place within our industry for the minority who mistreat greyhounds through poor welfare or use of prohibited substances. I wish to commend all of our Welfare Officers who work very hard to ensure excellent welfare standards exist across our industry.

Penalties under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 include fines up to up to 5,000 or 250,000 on indictment (i.e. in higher court), imprisonment of six months or up to five years or a ban from buying, owning or caring for an animal for any period, including life.

-----------------------------------------------------------
The IGB should publish their list of banned substances on their website to make owners/trainers aware of what is not permitted for use in greyhounds.
All thresholds should be published along with levels/limits, if this was made public it would help eliminate all the pathetic excuses being used by those who are caught. Cocaine is not tolerated in horse racing and any Jockey found to be contaminated/in possession of this drug is automatically BANNED from horse racing this should be applied across the greyhound industry with immediate effect IMO.

EXTERNAL LINK

Mr x was found in breach of rules 152 (i), (ii), 174 (i)(a), and 217 of the GBGB Rules of Racing
in that a urine sample taken from the greyhound DROD RO at Hall Green Stadium on 5 February
2017 was analysed by LGC Health Sciences as containing the presence of guaifenesin.
Mr x was not in attendance. Mr x apologized for his absence and the Disciplinary Committee
accepted his reasons for this. Robert Coulthard, racing manager of Hall green Stadium was not in
attendance. Paul Illingworth, Senior Stipendiary Steward and Professor Tim Morris, Independent
Scientific Adviser were both in attendance.
On 5 February 2017, a pre-trial urine sample was taken from DUNDROD HERO, a greyhound owned
by Mr Irwin. Analysis by LGC identified the presence of guaifenesin.
DROD RO was being offered for sale by registered sales agent Mr T Con on Mr x
behalf, but at all material times was in the charge and under the control of Mr x. GBGB have
therefore decided not to proceed against Mr Con and the Disciplinary Committee endorsed that
decision.
The Disciplinary Committee noted the evidence of Professor Tim Morris, that guaifenesin is a muscle
relaxant and sedative. Its main use in human medicine is an expectorant for productive coughs. It is
by its nature a substance which could affect the performance or alter the wellbeing of a greyhound.
In reply to the GBGB Q&A sheet question 12 (iii) Mr Irwin stated, cough medicine was given approx.
1 week 1.2.2017. It is unclear whether this is the date the treatment began or ended. In any event
the Disciplinary Committee accepted the evidence of Professor Morris that it was very unlikely that
guaifenesin would have persisted in the greyhounds system for as long as four days, and it was most
likely administered within 24 hours of the sample being taken.
By a letter received on 28 June 2017, Mr x gave more detail regarding the administration of
guaifenesin saying that all three of his dogs were coughing and he administered cough medicine to
them. He claims not to have known he was doing anything wrong. The Disciplinary Committee did not
accept that claim. Rule 217 is quite clear regarding the administration of medications to greyhounds
2
and states that when taking part in a race or trial a greyhound must be free of any substance which
could affect its performance or wellbeing.
The Disciplinary Committee regarded these as serious breaches. When faced with three greyhounds
all of which were coughing Mr x ought to have acknowledged the possibility of infection within his
kennel and sought veterinary advice.
To go on and travel to England with a possibly infectious dog was grossly irresponsible, as well as being
in breach of DAERA regulations. Then to kennel that greyhound at Hall Green where it would come
into contact with other greyhounds was a further piece of gross irresponsibility.
In all the circumstance the Disciplinary Committee considered these breaches so serious that only a
period of disqualification would meet the justice of the case.
Mr x was ordered to be disqualified for a period of one year and fined 1000. In imposing that
penalty the Disciplinary Committee noted that he was dealt with for similar breaches involving a NSAID
on 12 June 2008.

The delayed National Greyhound Awards presentation will be held on Sunday week, October 22nd at the Killeshin Hotel, Naas.

The Awards were originally fixed for Saturday, February 11th at Shelbourne but were called off due to the proposed protest outside the track. That was at the start of the costly Harolds Cross Dispute.

The Killeshin previously hosted the Awards Ceremony some years back and is an ideal venue for the night of celebration.

The Awards ceremony will kick off at 5pm and tickets can now be ordered from the Call Centre.

The nominees for the various awards were revealed at the start of the year and they remain the candidates.

The two human achievement winners have already been named. Francie Murray will be inducted into the Hall of Fame while Jim Russell is the winner of the Special Merit Award.

Mr Fortune, can you please put up a list of all nominees who have been selected for awards, please do not include any trainer who has in the past or present been found guilty or awaiting a hearing for the use of banned substances.

IGB Regulatory Notice to Owners & Trainers The IGB has addressed the issue of dietary contamination. As a result, it has decided to apply a screening limit of 1g/ml for Morphine and Procaine. This decision is in line with practice in other major greyhound racing jurisdictions.

The IGB has examined the situation relating to the administration of therapeutic substances such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), e.g. ibuprofen. An issue of concern to the IGB is the declaration of positives for samples taken from greyhounds which had earlier received therapeutic treatment and where the blood and/or urinary concentration of the therapeutic substance has decreased to insignificant (no effect) levels.

A policy decision has been taken not to declare positives for such samples containing residual traces of the substance in question.

With regard to a Therapeutic Exemption List, the IGB notes that it is currently standard practice in Human Sport and has received Veterinary advice that it is very much a relevant issue in Greyhound Racing. In this regard it is noted that a very limited number of greyhounds nationally suffer from seizures and fits and
RN10010: Regulatory Notice to Owners & Trainers Revision No 1: Page | 2

would benefit greatly from the therapeutic administration of Phenobarbital. The performance enhancing characteristics of Phenobarbital in this regard are considered negligible.

It was considered appropriate that when this condition was diagnosed in a greyhound, a Certificate from a Veterinary Surgeon certifying same could be sent to the Regulatory Body in advance of a greyhound competing at a track and this would exempt the greyhound from a Phenobarbital positive.

However, it must be stressed that prior application to be placed on this list, accompanied by a Veterinary Certificate must be received by the Regulation Department of IGB prior to the greyhound competing at a licensed track and subsequently testing positive for Phenobarbital.

It would be very interesting to hear the opinions of the Scientific committee regarding Cocaine/Morphine.