Top dog loses drug verdict

By Stuart Teather
PEARCEDALE greyhound trainer Jason Thompson has had his $100,000 prize for winning the Group One TopGun race last October stripped after his winning dog, El Galo, returned a positive drug test.
Thompson was found guilty in an inquiry on Tuesday after a post-race urine sample found El Galo had the banned substance N-butyl-hyoscine in his system.
The drug, which is commonly used to treat colic and for pain relief in horses, is allowed to be used in the greyhound industry but must not be present in a dog’s system when racing.
Thompson pleaded not guilty to the charge but stewards found him guilty, fining him $1000 and disqualifying El Galo from the TopGun race.
But the penalty effectively amounts to $101,000, with Thompson forfeiting the prize money from the race as well.
El Galo’s owner and partner of Thompson, Seona Wood, declined to comment ahead of a possible appeal.
Greyhound Racing Victoria (GRV) chief executive officer John Stephens said Thompson and Wood had seven days to launch an appeal, should they wish to contest the decision.
The decision does not affect the result of any of El Galo’s other races, and he has shown he is still in good form with victory in the $75,000 Temlee at The Meadows last week.
The result is a blow to Thompson, who has dominated the Australian racing scene with El Galo, which won 24 times from 34 starts in 2008.
El Galo was also recently named the GRV’s Greyhound of the Year for 2008.
Despite losing the TopGun prize money, El Galo still has winnings of almost $400,000 to his name.
With El Galo out of the TopGun, second-placed runner Regal Thyme was named the new winner and will receive the $100,000 first prize.
Fortunately for Thompson, the decision did not include a suspension, which means El Galo is free to run in the Australian Cup series over the next two weeks, with a total prize pool of $150,000 on offer.