Photo: Nigelmcgrathracing.co.nzProminent Canterbury harness racing driver and trainer Nigel McGrath has been disqualified for eight years after pleading guilty to three serious racing offences. McGrath was charged with attempting to administer a prohibited substance to a horse, refusing to make a statement on the matter, and obstructing racecourse investigators. Over a period of time, the RIU received information indicating that in the hours prior to races, McGrath would ‘tube’ horses in his shed between the stables and the main road. Tubing is when a rubber or plastic tube is inserted through a horse’s nose into its oesophagus for the purpose of administering a liquid substance. It is not the first time McGrath has been charged with horse doping offences.

Source: Otago Daily Times July 06, 2020 01:41 UTC