TRAINERS want the Trinidad and Tobago Racing Authority (TTRA) to review its drug-testing process since its zero-tolerance policy regarding therapeutic medication is harming the sport by punishing them for low level drug findings detected through ultra-sensitive testing procedures.

They are arguing that the TTRA has not published any stipulated threshold levels with respect to equine medication control although the rules make reference to such.

Then, surely more of these cases involving minute traces are certain to appear, moreso with samples being sent to different testing laboratories in the USA.

Trainers are arguing that minute traces of therapeutic medication do not enhance the performance of a horse.

The TTRA has reported that minute traces of “bute” were recently found in a post-race sample from a horse because there are no stipulated threshold levels with respect to medication control.

In arguing their case for a new drug testing guideline, trainers say TTRA has dealt with a number of drug-related cases since its inception, but although the penalties are likely to serve as a major deterrent, they expect inquiries involving drugs to be on the decline.

So far for this year, two horses have tested positive for illegal substances.

“The TTRA certainly has a legitimate interest in limiting those drugs that enhance the performance of a horse, but this episode has done more to tarnish the integrity of horse racing than anything,” one trainer observed.

“There is need for the entire zero-tolerance drug testing process to be examined,” he suggested.

“The TTRA maintains that there is a zero-tolerance for all drugs, taking the position that no amount of these drugs whatsoever are permitted in horses racing here.

“Such claims however are misleading because chemists cannot quantify down to zero,” he noted.

“Professional chemists never certify that a sample contains zero drug. All they can report is that no drug was detected and state the limit of detection of the method,” the trainer pointed out.

He said under a “zero-tolerance” policy the TTRA must in good faith apply the most sensitive detection technology possible.

For most illegal medications, this is not a problem.

But the problem can arise when this policy results in the detection of irrelevant traces, occurring as environmental contaminants, of politically sensitive substances.

“Zero-tolerance, therefore, is a myth.

“No chemist can detect down to zero.

“Additionally, therefore, a chemist cannot declare a sample ‘negative’.

“All a chemist can say is that the substance was detected and specify the limit of detection of his method,” said the trainer, who has been doing research on dope testing in foreign countries.

He noted that the Association of Racing Commissioners International (ARCI) in l995 adopted a resolution at a national Conference in Oklahoma City, making a number of recommendations, one was that members specifically implement procedures to have an official veterinarian or veterinary consultant review findings for ARCI class 4 and 5 substances to address “trace” level detection so as not to lead to disciplinary action based on pharmacologically insignificant “traces” of these substances.

Echoing this theme, the European Horseracing Scientific Liaison Committee (EHSLC) in its l997, Veterinary Drug Detection Times booklet points out that the “three central reasons for having rules to control the use of drugs in horse racing are to ensure unfair competition, to protect the welfare of the horse and to protect the breed from becoming debased”.

The EHSLC booklet also notes that, “ modern forensic analysis can sometimes detect drugs (including metabolites) long after administration and, as such, can make it difficult for veterinary surgeons to give advice about how soon after treatment a horse may be raced”.

The American Association of Equine Practitioners, in its 2000 policy on Therapeutic Medications in Racehorses, stipulates, “detection of pharmacology-insignificant levels of therapeutic medications should not constitute a violation of medication rules”.

Some trainers are strongly recommending that the TTRA must move swiftly to adopt this suggested approach to its testing policy and “implement the following initiatives, modernisation of its prohibited substances listing, threshold levels for therapeutic medications, and published withdrawal and/or suggested detection times”.

TTRA chairman Joe Hadeed can obtain a copy of An Overview of the Effective World Rules on Therapeutic Medications sub-entitled, A Work in Progress by Wyndee Carter, Amy Troppmann and Thomas Tobin from the Maxwell H.Gluck Equine Research Centre Department of Veterinary Science University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, which is available at the TnT Mirror’s office.