The Stewards yesterday concluded their inquiry into the analyst’s findings relative to a post-race urine sample taken from JADE THEATRE following that horse finishing in second position in the Tin Ha Shan Handicap conducted at Sha Tin Racecourse on the evening of Wednesday, 27 October 2021.

Evidence was taken from Mr P F Yiu, trainer of JADE THEATRE, Dr E N M Ho, Head of Racing Laboratory/Chief Racing Chemist, and Dr B S Forbes, Head of Veterinary Regulation, Welfare and Biosecurity Policy.  Evidence was also taken from Mr H F Yiu, assistant trainer allocated to Mr Yiu’s stable, Mr T M Lam, head lad, and Mr T Y Lam, stables assistant, both of whom are also allocated to Mr Yiu’s stable for the current racing season.  The Stewards received written authority from Mr Charles Tung Chung Ho on behalf of the owners of JADE THEATRE for Mr Yiu to represent their interests at the hearing.

Dr Ho had previously notified that the post-race urine sample taken from JADE THEATRE subsequent to the stated race had upon analysis showed the presence of omeprazole.  The routine pre-race urine sample taken from JADE THEATRE at 5:08 am on raceday morning as well as the post-race blood sample were both found to be negative to omeprazole.

The inquiry heard that a comprehensive investigation was conducted by the Stewards, the Club’s Security and Integrity Department and the Racing Laboratory in an endeavour to establish how and when JADE THEATRE came to be exposed to omeprazole on the day in question.  This included interviews of all relevant parties, reviewing stable treatment records as well as viewing all available CCTV footage from the taking of the pre-race sample onwards.  Samples were also taken from JADE THEATRE’s stable environment so as to exclude environmental contamination.

The investigation found that the common therapeutic medication Gastrogard, which contains omeprazole, was administered to JADE THEATRE in accordance with established practice, such treatment finishing five clear days prior to JADE THEATRE competing in the stated race.  Gastrogard has a two clear day recommended withdrawal period prior to racing.  Mr P F Yiu stated that it was his stable’s policy to cease administrating Gastrogard to horses which are entered to race five clear days in advance of a horse’s intended race so as to ensure that horses are completely free of that medication on raceday.  It was also established that all Gastrogard administrations to the relevant horses which are not entered to race are conducted at approximately 3:00 o’clock each morning.

Despite the extensive investigation being conducted, it was not able to be ascertained as to how JADE THEATRE came to be exposed to omeprazole.  There was also no evidence which indicated that the post-race urine sample was contaminated after the sample was taken from JADE THEATRE with a review of the sampling procedures being found to be in accordance with established processes.  Accordingly, the Club’s Racing Laboratory, with the assistance of the Department of Veterinary Regulation, Welfare and Biosecurity Policy, conducted administration trials on a number of horses so as to establish how much omeprazole and when JADE THEATRE may have been exposed to that substance given that analysis of the post-race urine sample showed omeprazole as the parent drug with an unusually small amount of hydroxyomeprazole, the major metabolite of omeprazole, in the post-race urine sample.  Metabolites of the parent drug being found in a sample taken from a horse are indicative of the horse being exposed to/administered a substance rather than sample contamination.

Following comprehensive analysis of the samples taken during the course of the administration trials, Dr Ho reported that, in her expert opinion, JADE THEATRE had very likely been exposed to a minuscule amount of omeprazole at some point during the period after completing its race at approximately 21:47 hours and prior to 22:08 hours when the post-race urine sample was collected, that being a window of about 21 minutes.  Dr Ho said this window of exposure was arrived at given the detection of the parent drug omeprazole in the administration samples with an associated paucity of the major metabolite of omeprazole.

In the absence of any evidence which would support that JADE THEATRE was exposed to omeprazole prior to that horse competing in the relevant race and given the evidence tendered by Dr Ho based on the data obtained during the administration trials and comparing that with the data from the post-race sample taken from JADE THEATRE, the Stewards accepted that when JADE THEATRE raced in the stated race, the horse was free of prohibited substances and that the exposure of omeprazole most probably did not occur until after the conclusion of the race.  As the Stewards were satisfied that JADE THEATRE had raced prohibited substance free, no further action was taken in respect of the horse’s placing in the race.  Accordingly, the Stewards ruled that JADE THEATRE will retain its second placing in this race with no amendments to the placings being required.

Mr P F Yiu was told that as the Stewards accepted that JADE THEATRE was prohibited substance free at the time that it raced, no further action was taken against him or any of the staff allocated to him who were interviewed as part of this inquiry.  However, Mr Yiu was reminded of his obligations to ensure that, wherever possible, horses trained by him are on the day in which they race free of prohibited substances at all times until after they have been released by the Stewards.