‘Most unusual’ greyhound doping case sent to gardaí
The independent Control Committee which decides on cases of alleged doping found, in one of its rulings last month, that Mikey’s Gold had been administered a prohibited substance chlorpromazine — antipsychotic medication primarily used to treat psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia — on January 23, 2016.
The dog was racing at Waterford greyhound stadium on the day the urine sample was taken.
According to the published ruling: “The committee was fully satisfied with the sampling process and with the laboratory analysis.”
Noting evidence given by an integrity and welfare officer and a stipendiary steward, “the committee was satisfied the greyhound Mikey’s Gold was administered the prohibited substance, prior to kennelling, by an unidentified person on the night of the 23rd of January, 2016.”
The dog was owned by Michael Whelan, of 64 Moran Park, Enniscorthy, Co Wexford, who the committee found had no part to play in the dog having been doped. According to the ruling: “Taking all of the circumstances into consideration, the committee decided Mr Whelan had no case to answer.”
A spokesman for the Irish Greyhound Board (IGB), which refers cases to the Control Committee, said the case was “most unusual”: “IGB tested three dogs from the race in question and only one, Mikey’s Gold, tested positive, for the prohibited substance chlorpromazine.
“IGB was not in custody of the dog when the prohibited substance was administered. This was found by the Control Committee to have occurred prior to kennelling and, therefore, IGB has no responsibility for the circumstances in which this matter arose.”
The spokesman said IGB could not comment on behalf of the Control Committee or elaborate on its findings and added: “Because of the circumstances of the case and the administration of human medication chlorpromazine to a greyhound, IGB is sending a file on the matter to An Garda Síochána.”
