Morrish charged with raceday treatment

Brad Waters - Wednesday August 16

Racing Victoria stewards have charged Ballarat trainer Simon Morrish with alleged raceday treatment of Show A Star before a meeting at Flemington last month.

Advertisement
Simon Morrish will face the Racing Appeals and Disciplinary Board. Photo: Darryl Sherer

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.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Yes Yes Yes 3YO Shooting for G2 on Monday
Last year’s Gr.2 James and Annie Sarten Memorial (1400m) set Savaglee up for Group One glory in Christchurch, and Matamata trainer Pam Gerard is hoping to follow a similar blueprint in 2025 with her Yes Yes Yes 3YO Affirmative Action..
Transatlantic Takes $1million Five Diamonds Prelude
Transatlantic’s lucrative spring carnival continued at Randwick with an arrogant victory in the $1m Five Diamonds Prelude.
Second Wootton Bassett Son Added to Coolmore Stallion Roster for 2026
Set to join Camille Pissarro as the second G1 winning son of Wootton Bassett on the stallion roster for Ireland in 2026 is Henri Matisse, who this time last year was about to claim his first G1 victory at the Breeders Cup meeting at Del Mar.
Good News Week for Geisel Park
Geisel Park’s black-type mare Laced Up Heels is in foal off a maiden cover to Champion Australian Sire Zoustar and an orphan foal has found a new mum.
Sires With Winners - Friday October 24
Here is the full list of 60 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Sale Cup Winner Adds to Fastnet Rock Super Weekend
It’s been quite the weekend for the late great champion sire Fastnet Rock with a Cox Plate quinella on Saturday and then on Sunday he produced a new stakes-winner when seven year-old gelding El Rocko captured the $200,000 Listed Sale Cup (1600m).
Pedigree Watch - Powerhouse Godolphin 3YOs Dominate
The current crop of three year-olds running for Godolphin lay claim to being the best they have ever produced in Australia and three of those colts won Group races in Australia on Saturday so let’s take a look at those pedigrees.
Wootton Bassett Colt Leads Coolmore G1 Trifecta
The last British Group I race of the flat season was run overnight at Doncaster with Aidan O’Brien producing a trifecta of two year-old colts led by a son of the late Wootton Bassett (GB) in Hawk Mountain, who was too good for a pair of Frankel colts.
Hi Yo Sass Bomb Wins G3 on Sunday
Kim Reid bypassed a Group One in favour of Sunday’s Gr.3 Gee and Hickton Funeral Directors Thompson Handicap (1600m) at Trentham with Hi Yo Sass Bomb, a decision that paid dividends when the mare led from the outset to claim her third stakes success.
Cream Rises at Trentham
A half-sister by Hello Youmzain (Fr) to dual Group I winner Mustang Valley, exciting filly Cream Tart is set to line up in one of the major three-year-old races over New Zealand Cup Week following her impressive win in Sunday’s Upper Hutt Car Sales LTD Three-Year-Old (1400m) at Trentham.