Methamphetamine Found In Racehorse Called Party Till Dawn

A five-year-old racehorse called ‘Party Till Dawn’ has tested positive for methamphetamines after a race meeting in Queensland. 

‘Party’ tested positive for the drug after coming second at a race in Toowoomba back in June and is the second horse in Queensland to show traces of the stimulant this year.

Ben Currie, the horse’s trainer, is now due to stand before the Queensland Racing Integrity Commission next week to explain the situation, The Guardian reports.

Speaking to ABC Currie said he felt he had a good case to fight the charge. Although he was fined $6,000 (£3,500) by the Commission after another of his horses, Tints, tested positive for a synthetic growth hormone called Boldenone which is banned.

Currie has said he’s planning on appealing that ruling and was confident he’d be cleared.

Island Tang is the other horse to test positive for the drug the commission reports and his trainer, Cassandra Marsh, gave evidence explaining the reason for the horse’s positive test was contact with a handler who used methamphetamine regularly.

While a government racing drug testing expert testified that this was an unlikely situation, it was possible that there was a causal link between a handler using drugs and a horse testing positive.

A racetrack in Texas disqualified five horses over a three-month period after they tested positive for methamphetamines but the state’s racing commission reported that the animals were contaminated by handlers.

Only last month one of Australia’s top horse trainers, Chris Waller, who looks after the world’s top racehorse Winx, had another horse test positive for methamphetamine forcing him to begin testing staff for drug use.