On Wednesday, Oct. 7, the Horse Racing Appeal Panel released its ruling on the appeal of trainer Richard Moreau.
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) received a Certificate of Analysis confirming the presence of the non-therapeutic drug darbepoetin alfa (DPO) for the horse Funtime Bayama, collected on June 10, 2024, as part of its Out of Competition Testing Program. DPO is a non-therapeutic, performance-enhancing prohibited substance that adversely affects racehorses and the integrity of racing.
For these violations, and as a result of an inspection into the circumstances surrounding the positive test, trainer Richard Moreau was suspended for 10 years, inclusive from July 23, 2024, to July 23, 2034. Sylvain Filion, who was found to also have been acting as a trainer of the horse, was suspended for 10 years, inclusive from Oct. 31, 2024, to Oct. 31, 2034. Both licensees were also issued monetary penalties of $40,000, and both licensees appealed those rulings.
The appeal hearings for Moreau began in December 2025 and concluded in early September 2026, with the Horse Racing Appeal Panel (HRAP) releasing its decision and reasons for decision on Oct. 7. The HRAP dismissed the appeal as follows:
- The Horse Racing Appeal Panel varied the penalty to a five-year full suspension with two years and four months being stayed and a monetary penalty of $20,000.
- The portion of the suspension to be served will terminate on March 22, 2027. Should Moreau have a positive test for a non-therapeutic, Class I or Class II drug during the stayed portion of the suspension, he may be required to serve the stayed portion together with any other penalty that may be imposed.
- All of the other provisions contained in Standardbred Official Ruling Number 2893588 dated Oct. 31, 2024 remain.
"It's a big stress relief," Moreau told Trot Insider on Wednesday night. "And I'm happy to hopefully clear my name because I didn't want to finish like a crook, you know? The people at the track are my friends, and I miss them so much. I'll be glad to walk back and say hi and shake hands. It's my family."
According to Moreau, he plans to resume training once his suspension ends in March.
"I have a nice setup and facilities. It's rented, but I will go back in business. Probably never going to be 50 or 60 horses again," Moreau said. "I'm just going to half retire. I'm not retiring, but I'll slow down."
Canada's Trainer of the Year from 2013-2022, Moreau sports 7,168 career victories with more than $78 million in purse earnings.
(Standardbred Canada)