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A Northern Ireland trainer whose greyhound tested positive for dexamethasone and hydroxynorketamine has been cautioned and fined £200.
The Greyhound Board of Great Britain's Disciplinary Committee concluded that the positive sample "resulted from feeding contaminated Category 2 ABP [Animal By Products] meats" to the greyhound after it heard that "ABP meats from a pregnant mare who had been treated with both dexamethasone and ketamine, but had been then euthanised after a difficult birth, had then been fed to" greyhounds.
A meeting of the Disciplinary Committee on 22 September 2022 was told that "on the 17 April 2022 a pre-race sample was taken from [greyhound] Wide Open trained by Mr Brendan Matthews which upon analysis by LGC identified the presence of dexamethasone and hydroxynorketamine" and that the greyhound, who was being used in the 2nd round of the Maiden Derby at Towcester track, "won convincingly in the very fast time of 29.18 at odds of 4/9F". Her form was said to be "consistent as she had won a 1st Round heat in 29.20 a week earlier and there were no unusual betting patterns".
A report published in the latest Greyhound Board of Great Britain "Calendar" publication outlines that independent scientific adviser Professor Tim Morris "gave evidence that dexamethasone is a corticosteroid that affects dogs with its potent anti-inflammatory activity" and that it is in common use as eyedrops and by way of injection.
"Side effects include metabolic disturbances and reduced response to infection," the report states. "It is therefore a substance which by its nature could affect the performance of a greyhound as well as prejudice its wellbeing."
He also gave evidence that "hydroxynorketamine is one of several metabolites which result from exposure to ketamine which is a sedative and anaesthetic veterinary medicine used in a number of animals including dogs" and that "ketamine as reported by the presence of its metabolite with its sedative and anaesthetic effects and range of side effects is also a substance which by its nature could affect the performance of a greyhound or could prejudice its wellbeing."
The Committee noted that Brendan Matthews "holds an International Trainers Licence and regularly runs his dogs in the Republic of Ireland where the feeding of Category 2 ABP products is common and where the screening limits for a number of banned substances are higher than in the UK".
Representing Brendan Matthews, his son Damien Matthews "recognised the importance to the Board of running a 'clean' sport and accepted that the GBGB’s Rules of Racing applied when his dogs were running in the UK." The meeting was told that "both he and his father had many years of experience of training greyhounds and he was concerned at the damage to their reputation caused by any suggestion that that there had been a deliberate administration in this case".
According to the report, "the Committee accepted that the drug residues for both dexamethasone and ketamine in the sample were at low levels in absolute terms and in particular the ketamine, as evidenced by its metabolite, did not appear to have had any deleterious effect on the bitch’s performance".
Professor Morris "concluded that the feeding of Category 2 ABP meats was the probable source of the positive sample particularly as Mr Matthews gave evidence that at the time of the positive sample, unusually in terms of usual activities in the licensed knackery run by his father, that ABP meats from a pregnant mare who had been treated with both dexamethasone and ketamine, but had been then euthanised after a difficult birth, had then been fed to his greyhounds."
The Committee concluded that "there had not been a deliberate administration of the banned substances in this case and that the positive sample from Wide Open had resulted from feeding contaminated Category 2 ABP meats".
Damien Matthews on behalf of his father accepted that the “strict liability” rules 152(i) 174(i)(b) and 217 of the GBGB Rules of racing had been breached.
The Committee cautioned Brendan Matthews and fined him £200. The prizemoney for winning the 2nd Round Heat would be forfeited. It was also to be considered if the rules allowed the retention of prizemoney associated with Wide Open winning in the final.
Read the full Disciplinary Committee report at
https://gbgb-prod-assets.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/07075823/Calendar-7-October-2022-Vol-14-No-20.pdf#page=8
Two weeks before testing positive, Wide Open was used in a race at Shelbourne Park track in Dublin, finishing first with prizemoney of €425. A week earlier, in her first race, she finished fifth in the “Con & Annie Kirby Memorial 525 Round 1 Heat 3 race” at Limerick track. More recently, she was used in a trial at Shelbourne Park on 11 August.