Aitken Out For Six Months

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31094, 24 June 1966, Page 4

Aitken Out For Six Months

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON.

The trainer, W. L. Aitken, of Bulls, has been disqualified for six months by the Wellington District Committee. He was found guilty on a charge arising from a positive return for theobromine from Lady Wild after she had won the Strathmore Hack Handicap at Trentham on May 7. '

The charge was laid by the racecourse inspector, Mr W. L. Harper, who was represented by Mr T. F. Fookes. Aitken was represented by Mr R. G. Collins, <rf Wellington, who also appeared for Mr E. A. Banner, of Halcombe, Lady Wild’s owner. According to a report of the hearing issued on Wednesday, Mr Fookes contended that the theobromine which the analyst had found resulted from an administration of Collovet, a tonic which contained caffeine. This was not disputed by the defence. Aitken admitted that Lady Wild had been fed Collovet during the week before the race at Trentham. He said she had certainly been fed Collovet on the Monday and he was almost certain that she had been fed it on the Tuesday. He denied that she had received any later. The case for the Racing Conference was that, by some means, Lady Wild had received a later administration of Collovet than that which was agreed to by Aitken. It was further contended that the Collovet probably had been inadvertently administered by a member of Aitken’s staff. It was submitted that if Aitken had exercised more supervision over the feeding of C"!lovet by his staff, the chance of a mistake occurring would have been greatly reduced. Accordingly, it was submitted that Aitken had not taken all proper precautions to prevent the administration of caffeine.

Aitken agreed that, because his wife had been HL, he had not, except for a feed on Tuesday, been present at the

stable when the Collovet was fed to the horses by his staff. He said, however, that there was a strict rule in his stable that no Collovet was to be fed without his instructions. He was satisfied that his staff were reliable and that they had not made a mistake and inadvertently fed the horses Collovet later than Tuesday. The defence contended that the possibility of the theobromine having come from an administration of Collovet on the Tuesday could not be ignored and Mr Collins submitted that Aitken had not failed to take the appropriate precautions.

Evidence was heard from several witnesses.

Ordering Aitken’s disqualification for six months and Lady Wild’s, disqualification from the race, the district committee allowed two months for the disposal of Aitken’s interests in any horses.