Swabbing at Ascot Trackwork

Piston_Broke · December 2013

Stewards were out in force swabbing track riders, jockeys and stable hands on friday morning at Ascot, amazes me how Trainers don't get swabbed unless they ride work, they must have diplomatic immunity.

There is a strong rumor floating around that a trainer refused to pee and is looking at 6 months, has had a good run over the last few months

RIO · December 2013

great news..i reckon the track work is a lot more dangerous than race day...Were they swabbing owners, etc that were also there??? I reckon that anyone who is on track is fair game as they are around the horses and if under the effect of alcohol or drugs...shouldn't be.

Snakadaktal · December 2013

run for rum, rum and coke, actually, forget the rum - leave the coke

Snakadaktal · December 2013

swabbing stablehands is common practice in states where the turf club insures them (get hurt, fail a swab > insurance voided). as far as i know, Perth is the only state in which they swab stablehands without insuring them as a club

LuckyLongshots · December 2013

RIO said:
great news..i reckon the track work is a lot more dangerous than race day...Were they swabbing owners, etc that were also there??? I reckon that anyone who is on track is fair game as they are around the horses and if under the effect of alcohol or drugs...shouldn't be.

All licensed people should be subject to testing, as they have to be at trackwork (sober or otherwise) - but testing the handful of owners (who if they go to trouble of being there are very unlikely to be intoxicated) that get there to see there horse at 6am is ludicrous - yeah good one @RIO

Simple fact is they can not ask owners, as they are not licensed people.

Other than that, I agree from a OHS standpoint, it is a necessity these days!

RIO · December 2013

I would have thought under "entering a work site" that anyone should be subject to D & A testing..if you were in my office having a coffee and a chat about how much money we had lost at the races on Saturday and the testers showed up..you would be tested...

Or alternatively, when i visit a mate at work, to do exactly that we get tested before we enter and are then subject to random testing via the visitors swipe card...so tested twice within 5 minutes.

But i realise that would be a bit over the top for our industry...
;)

theketaminekid · December 2013

Owners getting tested don't be ridiculous!

SPUDLEY · December 2013

I have worked in a place where you were required to blow in the machine before work and if you blew over 0.5 the cops were called as they classed you as a drunk driver so imagine if RWWA fitted one of those machines at the track gate . The track is classed as a worksite so there should be zero tolerance in regards alcohol and drugs for ANYONE wishing to enter.

JayJay · December 2013

Geez, if testing had been around at the trots in the early days, there
would have been a lot of scratchings (drivers not horses!!!!) Was there
one night when the driver fell out of the cart in the birdcage parade
ring. A hasty replacement was found who was a far better driver, we all
jumped on and it duly got the cash. It was a pretty good horse too. It
appreciated a sober driver.

thefalcon · December 2013

first driver wasn't leo keys, jay?

Chariotsonfire · December 2013

Redgum was the horse Buck Jones replaced by Phil Coulson 8/1 to 6/4 in the old imperical odds.

JayJay · December 2013

Red Gum it was. It was funny as buggery at the time but I was very young and irresponsible at the time. Wasn't gunna name names but old Buck might have had a nip or two on a cold night!!! Leo Keys might have had similar sentiments but I only saw him at the end of his driving career. My old man (still alive at 91) recalls there being few better "money" drivers than L.J. Keys.

JayJay · December 2013

Mind you it wasn't only the drivers that "felt the cold", Suggestions at the time that a racecaller or two might have imbibed back in the day when commercial radio stations provided very entertaining off course commentary!!!

thefalcon · December 2013

my good old uncle lionel....

:!!

JayJay · December 2013

Haha exactly who I was thinking of. I've got lots of old vinyl records of Lionel calling the trots - some absolute classics - you always knew who he was on. "Past the old ledger and Woody's pumping away on The District Attorney, by joves, he's not much good is he?" and "The favorite Color Glo has come out galloping double and she's gone for all money, Coulson will need to be a genius to win this". Oh, those were the days.

dungy · December 2013

Snakadaktal said:
run for rum, rum and coke, actually, forget the rum - leave the coke

:) spot on !!

RIO · December 2013

RIO said:
I would have thought under "entering a work site" that anyone should be subject to D & A testing..if you were in my office having a coffee and a chat about how much money we had lost at the races on Saturday and the testers showed up..you would be tested...

Or alternatively, when i visit a mate at work, to do exactly that we get tested before we enter and are then subject to random testing via the visitors swipe card...so tested twice within 5 minutes.

But i realise that would be a bit over the top for our industry...
;)

having a think about this i can see how the stewards could infer the stable areas to be the carpark of the work place and the track to be the actual workplace..thus only needing to test the jockeys and track riders.

I'd personally still consider the whole area a a work site.....

Carlosa · December 2013

If I'm visiting a friend on a site where they test and was asked to provide one, I would just refuse and leave.

I'd do the same as an owner at the track.

I would fully respect the "owner's (of the track/site that is)" requirement to have a safe worksite though, so htere would be no argument - I'm just a stubborn prick..

mrwiseman · December 2013

It is simple don't use drugs

Darkhorse · December 2013

mrwiseman said:
It is simple don't use drugs

I had a vanilla milkshake the other day , does that count?

H-BOMBER · December 2013

"no flies on you" :-\"

EmuExport · December 2013

some certain jockeys wouldnt pass that test !

SPUDLEY · December 2013

So a certain trackrider/ trainer gets a positive swab and now cannot ride but can still train how is that fair when the last bloke got 12 months and cannot do either.

Piston_Broke · December 2013

The other trainer got someone else to pee for him, this one refused to pee I think, dunno how they got the test done then?. It's a rule that trainers get diplomatic Immunity, I believe the stewards are doing their best to change the rule

helmet · December 2013

Are you sure he refused?? Thought he told them he would test positive and then provided a sample... And the last bloke (bunbury trainer) only got 6 months no riding but can still train... And that's all mr hale would have copped had he just provided his own sample...

RIO · December 2013

If they dont provide a sample (refuse) they usually get counted for a positive test, and the maximum penalty imposed as a consequence..If you do the test and it is positive, they can take a lighter view of it if there is a range of penalties..

ICE · December 2013

B-)

G'day Punter!

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