Racing: Aussie trainers banned, so horses become local

When is a drug so potent it can turn an Australian into a New Zealander?

When you get caught using it.

That has been the case with two of the contenders for the Interdominions, which start at Alexandra Park on Friday night.

Australian pacer Hexus and trotter Lost In the Park will now officially race as New Zealand entries after their trainers were disqualified on drugs charges.

David Wonson, Lost In The Park's trainer, was disqualified on a drug charge last month and the horse transferred to Victorian trainer Ken Tippet before it won the Australasian Trotting Championships at Moonee Valley on February 12.

Damien Gallagher, who trained Hexus, was disqualified in Sydney yesterday over a positive swab Hexus returned in a Harold Park race in November.

Because Tippet is not making the trip to New Zealand and Gallagher is now disqualified, both horses have had to be transferred and remarkably have ended up in the care of New Zealand trainer Jeff Whittaker, who hasn't had an open-class horse for 10 years.

That officially makes them New Zealand representatives for the series because horses race under the nationality of their trainer.

Hexus, who has been placed in the Miracle Mile and Victoria Cup this season, raced disappointingly at Harold Park last Friday. After having the perfect run in a moderate field he struggled into sixth and will need to improve enormously on that effort to make the $750,000 pacing final on March 18.

Both Wonson and Gallagher are banned from having any contact with their horses and Harness Racing NZ racecourse inspector Rod Carmichael will speak to them.

"Being disqualified, they are not allowed on any licensed premises, meaning they can't go to the property where the horses are stabled or to the racetrack," said Carmichael.

"It is disappointing this has come up so close to the series but it has nothing to do with New Zealand harness racing and will not affect the series in any way."

While HRNZ officials are understandably dreading any drug-related publicity after the Blue Magic scandal made for a last horror year for harness racing's image in the general media, Carmichael is upbeat about the Interdominions.

He is adamant security for the series will be the strictest ever at a New Zealand race meeting.

"Every horse in every heat will undergo a pre-race blood test and we will take enough blood for a separate sample to be sent to the lab for extensive screening for other drugs.

"And we will have security guards on all the finalists for the 24 hours before the finals.

"We will also have security measures in place at the Alexandra Park stabling area to ensure the horses are safe and not interfered with once they arrive on track.

"I don't know if there is anything more we can do than that."