There are only five to six disgruntled and frustrated Members of BTC who have been distorting the truth for personal vendetta and in doing so are damaging the reputation of the sport and the institution.

Each time their false accusations have been proven wrong they rake up issues of no consequence to frustrate and hinder the smooth functioning of the Club. Since the sample of Queen Latifa was declared “clean” and free of any prohibited substance they now claim it was a “cover-up” by the CEO, Nirmal Prasad [their primary target]for delaying the enquiry and “hiding” the original test result. Further, they are questioning the choice of laboratory where the sample was tested.

Racing in India is an extremely well regulated sport and all procedures are well documented and followed. It is virtually impossible to “cover-up” or “hide” any inconvenient truths. Each test result is opened in the presence of two senior officials.Set out below the sequence of events since the original sample of Queen Latifa was declared positive for 1.22ng/ml and clearly the CEO had little or nothing to do with delaying, “cover-up” or “hiding” any facts – the matter almost entirely being handled by the Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer and the Chief Stipendiary Steward.

Sequence of events post finding of Procaine in urine sample of QUEEN LATIFA

March 23, 2017          Laboratory Report from NDTL received by the Dy. CVO  

March 24, 2017          Dy. CVO informed the Chief Stipendiary Steward

As the CEO was on leave Dy. CVO requested Chief Stipendiary Steward for consent to ask NDTL for quantification of substance before publishing the report as the medicine was administered at the BTC Veterinary Hospital

March 25, 2017          Dy. CVO requested NDTL for quantification by email

March 26, 2017          CEO on leave

March 27,2017           CEO occupied with BTC election for Membership.

March 28, 2017          Club holiday [Tuesday]

March 29, 2017          Ugadi holiday   

March 30, 2017          CEO informed of the NDTL report & request for quantification

March 31, 2017         

April 1, 2017               CEO asks Dy. CVO about results and is informed that the report on quantification not received - instructs him to follow up

April 2, 2017               Dy. CVO sends email reminder to NDTL

April 3, 2017               NDTL submits its quantification report for Procaine as 1.22ng/ml with an apology for delay in reply.

April 4, 2017               Club holiday [Tuesday]

April 5, 2017               Quantification report submitted to the CEO & Chief Stipendiary Steward.

April 6, 2017               Chairman, BTC was informed about the matter by the Chief Stipendiary Steward

Subject included in the Agenda for Stewards Meeting scheduled for Saturday, April 8, 2017

April 7, 2017               Trainer concerned informed of the detection of the Procaine and inventory of Medicines in his stable was taken on record

April 8, 2017               Stewards Meeting was held and NDTL reports dated March 23, 2017 & April 3, 2017 were placed along with a note from the Dy. CVO who also explained the entire matter to the Stewards at the said meeting.

It is pertinent to note that:

• The said filly was administered an antibiotic Procaine Penicillin for therapeutic purpose [treatment of an abscess] in the BTC Equine Hospital
• The course of treatment was completed 25 days before the date of race and sampling
• The clearance period of 21 days had been followed before the filly was allowed to race on March 5, 2017.
• Had NDTL been aware of the screening limit for Procaine it would not have been called a positive
• This was proved when the sample was sent to the equine testing lab in Mauritius when tested for all prohibited substances it came back negative

Dy. CVO also contacted Dr. S.M. Karthikeyan, Chairman Indian Veterinary Commission and was informed that:

• He had already communicated with NDTL and informed them that screening limit for Procaine was 10ng/ml

As for questioning the competence of the laboratory, QuantiLAB in Mauritius its credentials can hardly be doubted or questioned.

• Member of Association of Official Racing Chemists
• AORC is a member of the ARCI (Association of Racing Commissioners International)
• Acts as reference laboratory for the analysis of both QC and B-samples for a number of reputable, international racing jurisdictions for both human and equine samples.
• Results & Quality system have been called to legal witness on more than one occasion
• Experience concerning the legal requirements for the analysis of forensic toxicology samples as well as the integrity of the chain of evidence.

Further, QuantiLAB is the primary laboratory used by RWITC and BTC has included it in its list of accredited laboratories where primary and secondary samples are tested.

It now remains to be seen what the next charge is going to emanate from this small coterie of disruptive individuals who obviously do not have the best interest of racing  in mind and is a sad reflection of their misplaced priorities especially when there are more important and pressing issues facing the industry as a whole.