The disastrous drug scandal that has dogged the All Stars stable’s Harness Jewels preparation is finally over.
Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen’s nine horses, swabbed earlier this week because they had possibly been contaminated with recreational drugs, have all tested clear.
Another horse, Dibaba, trained by Terry and Glenys Chmiel, also produced a clear swab, the Racing Integrity Unit (RIU) announced yesterday.
The All Stars horses tested were Princess Tiffany, Stress Factor, Funatthebeach, Sicario, Winterfell, Cheerful, Bubbled Up, Kayla Marie and War Dan Delight.
The 10 horses were tested for what were understood to be class A recreational drugs when it was revealed they were possibly exposed to the substances when travelling to the North Island before the Harness Jewels.
Two of Purdon and Rasmussen’s staff were fired after the incident.
The stable advised the RIU of the possible contamination, which prompted precautionary testing of the horses and the TAB shutting down fixed odds markets on the races they were entered in.
RIU general manager Mike Godber praised Purdon and Rasmussen’s handling of the incident.
"The trainers were proactive in advising the RIU of the potential contamination," he said.
"The process then put in place by the RIU, working in conjunction with the New Zealand Racing Board, Harness Racing NZ and the Racing Laboratory. was transparent, ensuring the public were fully informed and could have confidence in the integrity system."
