Douch Ban Highlights Need For Change

DES Douch, on July 27, was suspended by the Victorian Racing Tribunal for 6 months, the outcome highlighting need for change in the VIC system.

Gippsland trainer Des Douch, on July 27, was suspended by the Victorian Racing Tribunal for six months (with four months fully suspended) with the outcome highlighting the need for change in the Victorian system.

The Victorian Racing Tribunal commenced operating on 1 August 2019 and has sole responsibility for hearing and determining appeals, serious offence charges or matters referred to it by Harness Racing Victoria, Greyhound Racing Victoria or Racing Victoria (or their respective Stewards).

On December 3 last year, Douch's Three Wishes scored at Sale over 440m in a smart 24.83 – her third win at start four and has since scored at Sandown Park (29.42) and The Meadows (30.18).

With 16 dogs in work, Douch's life was upturned when Three Wishes returned a positive swab to arsenic following the December 3 win and it's been downhill since.

"Ï've only got one dog here now and it's taken just on eight months since the sample was taken to have the decision made," the disappointed trainer said.

"The bitch had been chewing timber in her kennel and that's where she ingested the treated timber.

"Greyhound Racing Victoria's veterinary surgeon Steven Karamatic agreed with the fact that this was not a prohibited substance which had been administered and I even considered there was an environmental contamination aspect but the Tribunal did not accept that."

Under GRV's penalty guidelines, stewards had a minimum penalty of a three-month suspension and a $1500 fine while a 12 month disqualification plus a $3000 fine (for repeat offenders) is the upper limit for a breach of Rule 83(2) which relates to presenting a dog to compete in a drug free state.

The July 27 decision confirmed the loss of the December 3 first place prizemoney ($1850) and, prior to the VRT outcome, Douch's decision to downsize his racing team was made.

"I really did not know what was going happen and most of the dogs here are owned by good friends," Douch added.

"Doing the right thing and transferring them out (of my kennel) protected their best interests.

"I understand that there is a threshold for arsenic and that's a good thing but I really did nothing wrong except for presenting the dog to race without knowing she had ingested the treated timber and or grass/dirt at home.

"I've just got to get on with things now … do the eight weeks and get a nice team together again. I'd just like to think this could have been done a bit quicker, it's been a very trying time mentally."

Greyhounds Australasia's National Rules, on May 1, introduced a number of threshold levels for substances which might have occurred via inadvertent ingestion and extender to dosages of day-to-day treatments.

In New South Wales, the Greyhound Welfare and Integrity Commission is moving towards a regionalised disciplinary practice for minor matters which, in conjunction with their published penalty guidelines, assures every participant is treated equally.

The Des Douch case should be a lightning rod for change in Victoria.

Douch waited many months for a hearing and it was a matter which GRV accepted as inadvertent and he pleaded guilty.

The processes in place don't allow VRT to be sidestepped yet, for such non adversarial matters, a change (via legislation) in the Garden State to make the processes better for all parties needs to be investigated.

Latest News Articles