Evidence given by stewards in the inquiry into raceday treatment allegations against trainer Paul Beshara is a "concoction", according to a witness.
Dan Williams, a stable foreman, told the Racing Appeals and Disciplinary (RAD) Board in Melbourne yesterday the stewards made no physical examination of Happy Trails when they cameto inspect it before it was due to race on September 14.
Williams said steward Dion Villella used a scanner to identify the Beshara-trained Happy Trails at the stable of trainer Anthony Cummings and merely gave the horse a "friendly pat" after identifying it.
Villella previously told the inquiry he had examined the area around the horse's near-side jugular vein and had found no abnormality.
Evidence before the inquiry is that a subsequent examination of Happy Trails revealed a puncture mark in the jugular area and a haematoma, which it is alleged are evidence Beshara injected the horse.
Beshara denies the allegation saying the puncture mark and haematoma were the result of treatment given to the horse two days earlier.
Williams, who held the horse's head while Villella ran the identification scanner over its neck, was asked by prosecuting counsel Dr Cliff Pannam if he disputed the stewards' evidence.
"Are you saying the evidence given by the stewards is completely false?" Dr Pannam said.
