Racing Victoria stewards have charged Ballarat trainer Simon Morrish with alleged raceday treatment of Show A Star before a meeting at Flemington last month.
Stewards withdrew Show A Star from a race at Flemington on July 8 after alleging the horse had a mark consistent with a haematoma caused by an injection during an inspection of Morrish's Ballarat stable.
Morrish told stewards on the day that he had not treated the horse since his vet had given Show A Star a routine injection on the Tuesday before the race.
Stewards laid the following charges against Morrish, who was looking after the team of suspended trainer Matt Cumani at the time, which will be heard by the Racing Appeals and Disciplinary Board on a date to be fixed.
"Charge 1: AR 178E – Administration of medication on raceday
AR 178E states that: (1) Notwithstanding the provisions of AR 178C (2), no person without the permission of the Stewards may administer or cause to be administered any medication to a horse on race day prior to such horse running in a race.
Stewards allege that Mr Morrish administered an unknown medication by way of injection to the left side jugular vein of Show A Star on Saturday, 8 July 2017.
Mr Morrish did not have the permission of the Stewards to administer any medication to Show A Star prior to the race and thus his conduct was in contravention of AR 178E(1).
Charge 2: AR 178AB(1) – Injection of a horse engaged to race [Alternative to Charge 1]
AR 178AB states that; (1) A person must not, without the permission of the Stewards, inject a horse, cause a horse to be injected or attempt to inject a horse, which is engaged to run in any race:
(a) at any time on the day of the scheduled race, prior to the start of such event; and
(b) at any time during the One Clear Day prior to 12.01am on the day of the scheduled race.
Stewards allege that Mr Morrish injected or caused Show A Star to be injected at some time on Saturday, 8 July 2017 prior to the race or during the One Clear Day prior to 12:01am on Saturday, 8 July 2017.
Mr Morrish did not have the permission of the Stewards to inject Show A Star on raceday or during the One Clear Day and thus his conduct was in contravention of AR 178AB(1).
Charge 3: AR 178F – Failure to record administration of treatment
AR 178F states in part that; (1) A trainer must record treatment and medication administered to each horse in his or her care by midnight on the day on which the administration was given…
The summary of the particulars of the charge are that on the afternoon of Tuesday, 4 July 2017, Mr Morrish authorised a veterinary practitioner to administer a medication, Meloxicam, to Show A Star.
Following the administration, and prior to a Stewards' inspection at Mr Morrish's stables on the morning of Saturday, 8 July 2017, Mr Morrish failed to record the administration of the medication to Show A Star on 4 July 2017 in accordance with AR 178F(1)."
Show A Star's owner subsequently transferred the gelding to the care of fellow Ballarat trainer Archie Alexander.
