Two harness racing drivers have been suspended from the sport for eight weeks after failing pre-race alcohol tests in January. READ MORE:* Top harness driver pinged for excess alcohol before race meeting* Harness driver Bob Butt suspended after positive breath alcohol sample* Harness driver Blair Orange fined and suspended for positive breath testIn addition to being suspended for eight weeks, Orange was also fined $1000, and they were both ordered to pay costs of $750 to the JCA. A JCA decision, published on February 5, said Butt returned levels of 268 and 287 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath – more than two-and-a-half times the harness racing limit of 100mcg/l. In New Zealand, the alcohol limit for motor vehicle drivers aged 20 years and over is 250mcg of alcohol per litre of breath. Orange is one of the country’s foremost harness racing drivers and in a 25-year career has driven more than 2100 winners, with the wins collecting more than $25 million in prize money.

Source: Stuff February 07, 2021 02:03 UTC