Sunday 8 March 2015

Doping - continued




Doping - will it ever be taken seriously?


In October 2014 IGS highlighted doping-scandals of Irish Greyhounds, starting from 2006 through to the details of a second fine and severe reprimand for Irish Greyhound trainer Pat Curtin, by the Greyhound Board of Great Britain for a positive sample of Stanozolol from Greyhound Kereight King in a trial run in the UK. 
In November 2014 a BBC Panorama expose of doping in the UK  was broadcast- highlighting the 'biggest crook in Wimbledon' and the doping of Irish-born 'Ticco Foods'  and 'Pennys Swan'.

Questions continue to be raised

18th December 2014 - Mick Wallace TD questions Tom Hayes, Minister responsible for Greyhounds. Starting with raising concerns on the lack of or slow procedures in publishing the results of doping tests - going on to highlight a 'serious conflict of interest' where 'the chairman[of the Control Committee - who oversee doping investigations]has a dog in training with a guy who has actually been found guilty of doping dogs' , and - as highlighted by IGS in October - and further by Senator Brian O Domhnaill - the warning from the Greyhound Board of Great Britain for English buyers to 'exercise due diligence in assessing the drug status of greyhounds they purchase from Ireland' in the Disciplinary Hearing of Greyhound Gemstones Rover for a positive sample showing Stanozolol.

18th December 2014 - Clare Daly TD questions Simon Coveney, Minister for Dept. Agriculture, Food, and the Marine, over publication of findings for doping results - and the 'reason this is currently not the standard practice in the Irish dog-racing industry'. Simon Coveney points out that under current regulations detailed findings can be published only after consideration at the Control Committee or, in the event of an appeal, at the Control Appeals Committee'....the 'Control Committee shall publish its findings in all decisions in a manner it deems fit, and that and such publication may be delayed subject to appeal procedures' and that he 'anticipates' improved transparency.

24th December 2014 - Paschal Taggart, Ex Chairman of the Bord na gCon & the Control Committee - as we saw in 'Doping' -  the man now bidding to save the UK Wimbledon track for the Irish industry - was proud to say that in his time the industry 'never needed a consultants report'. He didn't mention the fact that In June of 2006 the then Secretary General of the Justice Department, Tim Dalton, published his damming report of 'Certain matters affecting the Bord na gCon' which included focussed concerns of Paschal Taggart's non-publication findings of the EPO doping scandal.


17th February 2015 - Mick Wallace TD questions Minister Simon Coveney if any 'measures are in place to deal with' the sale of 'illegal substances for use in the Greyhound industry' - previously an area highlighted by IGS in October 2014  - and a concern highlighted in the 2007 report of the Paul Hennessy case.

17th February 2015 - Clare Daly TD questions Minister Simon Coveney if he is 'satisfied with the current standards of drug testing in the Greyhound industry' especially with in reference to the drug Stanozolol, given that the Bord na gCon have confirmed no positive samples of Stanozolol to date - 'despite reported widespread use of this drug in the industry'. Stanozolol has been highlighted throughout the previous post by IGS on doping - showing concerns that testing for oil-based Stanozolol was 'proving more difficult' for the Bord na gCon. Simon Coveney reports that 'In the past year Bord na gCon has significantly augmented its regulatory function with the appointment of a Director of Racing Governance and Compliance. Bord na gCon reports that since this appointment, it has undertaken a considerable review of all regulatory functions with a view to achieving the highest standards in greyhound racing integrity'. Such as reviews and changes to the Artificial Insemination of Greyhounds Regulations 2005 - which was breached by the industry for nine years - allowing some illegally bred and registered Greyhounds to be used for racing.
Minister Coveney continued to point out that the Bord na gCon had 'launched a Review into Anti-Doping and Medication Control' and that 'this review, which is on-going, will make recommendations which I expect Bord na gCon to take into account in determining whether any amendments are required to legislation, practices or policies, to ensure both the advancement of the Board's commitment to the welfare of the greyhound and to underpin the integrity of the Irish greyhound industry'

The Anti-Doping and Medication Control review launched by the Bord na gCon, is being led by Professor Tim Morris - independent adviser to the GBGB Regulatory Board. Representatives from the IGOBF(Irish Greyhound Owners and Breeders Federation)met with Professor Tim Morris and the Director of Racing Governance and Compliance, Hilary Forde, on 27th of January 2015, to insist 'on a zero tolerance approach for drugs or medication in greyhound racing' and that when 'test results are returned by the Laboratory they should be published both negative and positive with a note if samples are being sent for further analysis'. 

Finally an advance on doping?

In a GBGB Disciplinary Hearing on 10th February 2015, in reference to another positive sample from an Irish Greyhound - Fairyfield What, who had recently been sold to the UK - Professor Tim Morris gave in his evidence to the Committee that 'he had received anecdotal reports of trainers(not Veterinarians)in Ireland using viagra to counter cramp in Greyhounds'.

On the 10th February it was announced that the Irish Derby 2014 'winner' Laughil Blake was set to be used in the Dandelion Bar & Nightclub Easter Cup. The announcement, of course, does not mention any references to doping - such as:

  • Michael O'Donovan, trainer of Laughil Blake, was fined and reprimanded by the GBGB in July 2014 for a positive sample from Greyhound Laughil George where 'It appeared to the Committee that Mr O’Donovan was talking an injudicious risk in racing a greyhound during its recovery period, risking its welfare' .
  • Or the Dandelion Bar & Nightclub, sponsoring the 2015 Easter Cup, as in 2014, being owned by Greyhound trainer Pat Curtin highlighted previously as being severely reprimanded and fined by the GBGB in 2009 and in 2014.

Details and fines on the doping of Greyhounds in Ireland for December 2014 and February 2015 finally, after years of pressure, and with accordance to recommendations from the 2014 consultants report from Indecon, were publicised.

December 2014 shows the biggest fine of €1,000 handed out for a positive sample of Amphetamine from the Greyhound 'Fortfield Chief'. 
A low fine of €100 was handed out for a positive sample of Frusemide from the Greyhound 'Friars Manor'. This low fine is a concern given that the drug Frusemide(aka Furosemide) is listed by the World Anti-doping Agency as a prohibited masking drug(a drug to hide detection of other drugs).

In February 2015 the low fine of €100 handed out for a positive sample of Heptaminol from the Greyhound 'Old Fort Cracker' is surely a concern given that the use of this drug, on Greyhounds, is taken far more seriously in Australia. Results of Heptaminol use in the Australian industry have resulted in trainers being disqualified - up to two years - along with being fined.

Whilst we see details of doping cases in Ireland finally being published as a forward step, we can only hope that the result of the Bord na gCon review of Anti-Doping and Mediaction with Professor Tim Morris will give rise to future positive samples dealt with and published sooner than they have been, and disqualifications given along with fines. Maybe even a unified and shared approach to a zero-tolerance on doping between the Irish and UK industries can be achieved.


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