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Rockhampton trainer Nick Walsh banned by stewards for anabolic steroid positive swabs
A young Queensland trainer renowned for boasting a sensational winning strike has been disqualified for 12 months by racing stewards after an anabolic steroid was detected in one of his horses.
Rockhampton trainer Nick Walsh was slapped with a trio of 12 month bans relating to the anabolic steroid Stanozolol being detected twice in out of competition testing and once in post race testing.
However stewards ordered that the disqualifications be served concurrently.
It is a landmark case, given that Racenet understands it is the first time Stanozolol has been detected in a Queensland thoroughbred racehorse since a total ban on anabolic steroids in racehorses was introduced in 2014.
'QRIC is dedicated to enforcing a zero-tolerance policy towards the use of prohibited substances,' Queensland Racing Integrity Commission deputy commissioner Kim Kelly told Racenet.
'Detecting, responding and deterring non-compliance with the Rules of Racing is a key function of QRIC.
'QRIC will continue to utilise all available measures to ensure participants comply with the Rules.
'This includes 'anywhere, anytime' sampling regime which necessarily includes unannounced and unpredictable out of competition sampling which compliments robust race meeting sampling.'
The stewards' inquiry heard that Stanozolol was detected in samples collected from Sailor's Rum in two out of competition samples and also a post-race blood sample when Sailor's Rum competed in a 1200m race at Rockhampton on December 19 last year.
Sailor's Rum finished fourth that day after being strongly backed from $3 to $2.10.
Walsh, who once represented Australia in rodeo, has trained 155 career winners at the outstanding strike rate of 32 per cent.
He has always enjoyed a strong strike-rate but it was off the charts in the 2022/23 season when Walsh-trained horses won at a strike rate of 42.7 per cent.
Walsh's best horse has been sprinter Hell, which won seven races for Walsh including three in Brisbane since transferring from the Tony and Calvin McEvoy stable in Victoria.
Following Walsh's disqualification, Hell was transferred to fellow Rockhampton trainer Tom Smith.
The stewards' report relating to Walsh's disqualification notes: 'Stewards considered a significant amount of documentation, inclusive of, but not limited to, expert scientific evidence, expert veterinary evidence, six months of veterinary records of horses trained by Walsh, six months of personal and business banking account records of Walsh and analysis of mobile phone data from Walsh's personal mobile device.'
Walsh pleaded guilty to all three of the racing charges he was issued with by stewards.
In relation to Stanozolol, the stewards' report noted:
* The evidence failed to identify how the substance, Stanozolol, came to be in Sailor's Rum's system at the relevant times
* The nature of the substance, Stanozolol, which is well known to be performance enhancing
* That there is no legitimate use in thoroughbred racing for Stanozolol
Stewards gave the managing owner of Sailor's Rum, Brandon Diplock, an opportunity 'to attend the original stewards inquiry or alternately make written submissions in relation to this matter, on behalf of the ownership group, prior to any determinations being made.
'Mr Diplock did not request to attend in person and did not make any submissions for consideration,' stewards noted, before disqualifying Sailor's Rum from the race on December 19.
It is understood Walsh intends to lodge an appeal on the grounds that the penalty was too severe.
Meanwhile, stewards considered the provisions of Australian Racing Rule 248 which relates to 'administration of anabolic androgenic steroids and/or selective androgen receptor modulators.'
'In assessing the rule and given that the sample collected from Sailor's Rum on 20 December 2024, had an anabolic androgenic steroid detected in it, the provisions of AR248 (4)(a) and (b) were invoked and Sailor's Rum is not permitted to start in any race, official trial or jump-out for a 12-month period commencing 20 December 2024, until receipt of an Androgenic Clearing Certificate,' the stewards' report reads.
