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Racing NSW Stewards today conducted an inquiry into the intravenous injection of the racehorse Burning Bell with a multivitamin drip on the morning of Tuesday, 16 July 2024.

Such injection being during the one clear day prior to Wednesday, 17 July 2024, the day Burning Bell was engaged in Race 7 (Ramornie Handicap, 1200m) at Grafton Racecourse.

The evidence established the following –

1. On Monday 15 July 2024, Burning Bell was accepted and engaged as the fifth emergency in Race 7 (Ramornie Handicap, 1200m) at Grafton Racecourse on Wednesday, 17 July 2024.
2. On Monday 15 July 2024, Burning Bell was accepted and engaged as a starter in Race 1 (Mother’s Gift, 1400m) at Grafton Racecourse on Thursday, 18 July 2024.
3. On the afternoon of Monday, 15 July 2024, managing owner Mr Grant Morgan sent Mr Toby Edmonds a text message advising he was content for Burning Bell to proceed to the Mother's Gift. Mr Edmonds agreed with this advice.
4. On the morning of Tuesday, 16 July 2024, Mr Edmonds sent a video message to the ownership group of Burning Bell advising the stable would proceed to the Mother’s Gift.
5. On the morning of Tuesday, 16 July 2024, without the permission of the stewards, Mr Edmonds caused Burning Bell to be injected with a multivitamin drip in the offside jugular vein.
6. Such treatment was recorded in Mr Edmonds treatment records that day.
7. On the afternoon of Tuesday, 16 July 2024, Burning Bell remained engaged in the Ramornie Handicap and was subsequently inspected by Racing NSW Stewards who identified swelling over its offside jugular vein, consistent with the site of an injection.
8. Stewards subsequently directed Mr Edmonds to scratch Burning Bell from its engagement in the Ramornie Handicap.

After consideration of all available evidence Mr Edmonds was issued a charge under AR254(1)(b)(ii) -

Charge – Inject a horse within one clear day of race engagement (AR254(1)(b)(ii))

The details of the charge being that on the morning of Tuesday, 16 July 2024 he did cause the racehorse Burning Bell to be injected within one clear day of Wednesday, 17 July 2024, the day Burning Bell was engaged in Race 7 (Ramornie Handicap, 1200m) at Grafton Racecourse.

Plea: Guilty
Finding: Guilty

Stewards considered the following matters when assessing penalty –

1. Guilty Plea.
2. Honest and forthright evidence.
3. Disciplinary history & years involved in the racing industry
4. Personal and professional circumstances.
5. Serious nature of the offence
6. Precedent Penalties
7. Principle of specific and general deterrence and what message is to be sent to the industry, and greater public, in respect to such conduct.
8. Purpose for issuing penalties as a protective measure for the image and integrity of the Thoroughbred Industry.

Penalty
Whilst the injection of a horse within one clear day of a race engagement has been established as a serious offence, that has previously attracted a penalty in the nature of a suspension or a disqualification, Racing NSW Stewards were satisfied that Mr Edmonds’ offending was mitigated by the following factors –

1. When questioned by Racing NSW Stewards on Tuesday, 16 July 2024, Mr Edmonds was able to immediately present the text message correspondence between Mr Morgan and himself.
2. When questioned by Racing NSW Stewards on Tuesday, 16 July 2024, Mr Edmonds was able to immediately present the video message from himself to the ownership group of Burning Bell.
3. When Burning Bell was inspected by Racing NSW Stewards on Tuesday, 16 July 2024, the treatment records were complete and confirmed the injection of Burning Bell that morning.

Appreciating these factors, Stewards were comfortably satisfied that it was Mr Edmonds’ intention to proceed to the Mother's Gift on Thursday, 18 July 2024 and that Burning Bell had been injected on Tuesday, 20 July 2024, in preparation for that race.

Having regard to the circumstances of Mr Edmonds’ offence, Stewards determined the starting point for penalty be a fine of $4,000. Appreciating Mr Edmonds' guilty plea, a $3,000 fine was issued.

Mr Edmonds was advised of his appeal rights.

- M. A. Holloway (Chief Steward NRRA)

Relevant Rules
AR254 Injection prohibited at certain times

(1) A person must not, without the permission of the Stewards:
  (b) cause to be injected;

A horse engaged to run in any race:
  (ii) at any time during the 1 clear day prior to 12.00am on the day of the scheduled race.
 (ii) obstruct, hinder or delay the investigator in exercising their powers, performing their functions or carrying out their duties.