Contaminated samples were the topic of the day as the hearing into the positive test by Smoken Up after the $800,000 Inter Dominion championship kicked off
Down Under.
Smoken Up's post-race swab from the Inter Dominion final came up positive for an illegal anti-inflammatory substance called dimethyl sulfoxide -- more commonly known as DMSO. The split sample of the Smoken Up's post-race swab also came back positive.
The horse's highly-regarded conditioner, Lance Justice, previously went on the record as saying that he will "quit the sport" if Smoken Up is disqualified due to the swab. Justice has been charged by New Zealand’s racing integrity unit in relation to the incident.
According to a report by The Dominion Post, the first day of deliberations saw the topic of cross contamination of samples broached. During cross examination, New Zealand Racing Laboratory Analyst Craig Gardner stated that there could be "a possibility" that the trace amounts of DMSO appeared in Smoken Up's sample due to "instrumental carry-over."
When asked if he was, "suggesting that the trace levels (of DMSO) may have got there (into Smoken Up's sample) as a result of the testing process," Gardner stated, "That's a possibility."
(With files from The Dominion Post)
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