The greatest "kick in the guts" Paul Beshara has experienced in 40 years as a trainer might yet be followed by the greatest moment in his career.
Victoria's Racing Appeals and Disciplinary Board (RAD) disqualified the Adelaide horseman for treating Happy Trails on the day he was due to raceat Moonee Valley last month.
Under new rules, a guilty verdict in such a case attracts a mandatory minimum six-month disqualification which RAD Board chairman Russell Lewis announced on Monday, albeit with some regret.
However, Beshara is still likely to be permitted to saddle up the horse he knows as Roy in Saturday's Cox Plate at Moonee Valley.
"I'm going to appeal, I think we have strong grounds," Beshara said.
"I still say I did nothing wrong. This is the biggest kick in the guts I've ever had. In 40 years of training I've never even had a fine before." The RAD Board earlier ruled in favour of the stewards who inspected Happy Trails on the day he was to have raced and found a puncture mark on his neck, they said, was evidence the horse had been injected.
They found no syringe or other equipment with which the horse could have been treated, and no traces of prohibited substances were found in blood samples.
