By MICHAEL GUERIN
GOLD COAST - An emergency meeting last night may have saved the Interdominions from an embarrassing drug scandal.
The Herald has learned that Queensland harness racing bosses held a secret meeting aimed at increasing security before Saturday night's $500,000 Interdominion Pacing Grand Final.
The move could mean security guards on all finalists for the 48 hours before the race, eliminating any chance they could have performance-enhancing drugs administered to them.
The move has been sparked by intense pressure from some of the industry's biggest names, some of whom were willing yesterday to speak out for the first time.
Initially Queensland harness racing bosses had decided to only place security guards on the horses from 6.30 Saturday morning.
But many of the illegal substances which can help a horse perform better could still be effective if given before that time.
That makes a nonsense of the use of security guards at all says Interdominion king Brian Hancock, who trains sentimental favourite Courage Under Fire.
"I am not saying anybody is going to be doing anything they shouldn't be doing but why take the chance.
"We have a great race coming up and the last thing we want is it being ruined by somebody doing something stupid.
"The credibility of the industry demands we do everything possible to make sure our racing is drug free so punters can bet on a level playing field."
Security guards were introduced before big races several years ago by Sydney's Harold Park officials and their major races, like the Miracle Mile, have been the scene of dramatic form reversals, raising suspicions some of the runners may have been missing their pharmaceutical top-up.
That has led to calls to have security guards placed on horses 48 hours before all Grand Circuit races, a proposal which was on the agenda at yesterday's annual meeting of the Interdominion council here.
But the meeting did not start as planned, after members were told of the growing unrest among trainers about the prospect of inadequate security. That prompted fevered discussions which then led to last night's emergency meeting of the Queensland Harness Racing Board.
The main reason Queensland harness racing officials had not already planned 48 hour security guard coverage is simple - money.
But the connections of some horses in the race, like Courage Under Fire's millionaire owner Greg Brodie, have a way around that.
"I would be happy to throw in some money to help pay for the guards if it is for the good of the integrity of the industry," said Brodie.
Exactly what measures will be put in place will not be announced until today, but QHRB boss Ray Stedman told the Herald he would expect the security to be beefed up.
The move could be a major boost to chances of a New Zealand victory in the final, which has four Kiwis.
New Zealand harness racing is a world leader in the war on drugs, and its measures to preserve integrity is greater than for thoroughbred racing on either side of the Tasman.
As a result our horses have excelled in recent years in races where security guards have been used, including Holmes D G's wins in the last two Miracle Miles.
Nobody is saying any prohibited substances would be used, but after one of the most exciting Interdominion Pacing Championships ever it would be a public relations disaster for a horse to return a post-race, or even worse, pre-race irregularity which brought the fairness of the Grand Final into question.
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