Horse trainer’s wife also tests positive for methamphetamine after drugged steed claims victory

A husband and wife have been disqualified from horse racing after they and their winning steed all returned positive drug tests for methamphetamine. Photo / Northern Advocate

A stable hand who is married to a horse trainer that tested positive for methamphetamine along with his winning steed, has also admitted using the Class A narcotic.

In May Tazimoto won the $12,000 Lion Red Punters Challenge Maiden at the Ruakaka Race Course but soon after the victory, tests by race officials revealed the presence of methamphetamine in its system.

Trainer and co-owner Darren Smith was also tested and traces of the Class A drug were discovered in his urine and hair - indicating prolonged use.

Smith, however denied ever touching methamphetamine and claimed he was the unfortunate victim of cross-contamination caused by a stable hand who used the drug.

“He stated that he had never consumed methamphetamine in any form and that the positive analysis of both urine (and hair) samples could only have arisen from some association with his employee,” said the Racing Integrity Board in a decision earlier this year.

NZME can now reveal Smith’s wife Jazmin, a licensed stable hand, part owner of Tazimoto and co-owner of Bream Bay Bloodstock, also returned a positive drug test for methamphetamine on the same day as her husband. It is unclear if she’s the same stable hand her husband referred to in his comments to the board.

Jazmin told the Racing Integrity Board’s Adjudicative Committee she was an occasional user of methamphetamine.

After the positive test, she sought treatment from counsellors at the Salvation Army and a report from the senior counsellor and the AOD clinician to the Racing Industry was presented to the committee.

“It was noted that Ms Smith had been attending individual counselling and that she appeared genuinely engaged in sessions and was motivated to do the work required to beat the addiction.”

In August Smith was disqualified from racing for two and a half years but on appeal he was given the chance to halve the disqualification period if he can submit clean bimonthly drug tests.

“We consider it appropriate to provide Mr Smith with the opportunity to give force to his position that, despite the positive test, he is not a user of Methamphetamine.”

At the same time Jazmin was banned from the sport for 12 months but also appealed the decision on the grounds her penalty was excessive and should have started when she was first stood down in June.

The committee stated it did not have the power to backdate a disqualification, but agreed the length of her disqualification should be reduced because the penalty imposed was inappropriate as it was higher than standard.

“Ms Smith expressed remorse and expressed the opinion that she alone was to blame for the positive swab returned by Tazimoto.

“We are not at all sure of the accuracy of that claim or her opinion, but it is not necessary for the Adjudicative Committee to discuss that issue further.”

It reduced Jazmin’s disqualification to 10 months.

She was also granted a further concession, that if she completed the Salvation Army’s rehabilitation programme for eight months and thereafter to the satisfaction of the New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing and Racing Integrity Board provided negative urine and hair samples to any prohibitive drug, the remaining two months of the disqualification would be suspended.

When contacted by Open Justice Jazmin declined to comment about the decisions or the drug use.

In September the RIB acknowledged methamphetamine detections were becoming more common in its decision to ban greyhound trainer Marie Prangley for two and a half years after her dog Thrilling Freddy tested positive for the drug.

In the last 21 years though there had only been about 15 cases where trainers or jockeys have tested positive for methamphetamine.