FORBIDDEN SUBSTANCE (Class 1) - Trouble ahead

PRESS RELEASE

VITELLIUS
The National Horseracing Authority confirms that upon analysis by its Laboratory, the presence of Methamphetamine, a FORBIDDEN SUBSTANCE (Class 1), was disclosed in a plasma specimen taken from VITELLIUS after it had won Race 9 at Turffontein Racecourse on 27 April 2025.

Subsequently, VITELLIUS (Trained by Mr W C Marwing) has been scratched from Race 8 at the Vaal Racecourse on Thursday, 29 May 2025 in terms of the provisions of Rule 74.3, which prescribes that this gelding be banned from racing for a period of 180 days.

74.3.   Any horse known to have been administered a FORBIDDEN SUBSTANCE, or if a specimen taken from that horse contains a FORBIDDEN SUBSTANCE or exceeds the threshold for this substance, shall be banned from racing for a period of 180 DAYS. However, in the event that the FORBIDDEN SUBSTANCE is an anabolic steroid, the period will be 365 days. 

An Inquiry will be opened into this matter.

Problem is that you get false positives as well as positives due to other  medications. 

Not saying there is nothing there but sometimes the way these things are reported can be misleading and the evidence may fall down after more vigorous testing and explanation from the trainer and vet. 

Definitely will be further investigation as it was backed from 7/2 to 9/4 and drifted out in the betting the previous 4 runs...

......there is no way that this substance would be a result of a false positive or anything to do with a vet.....meth is a big problem as it is easily available to habitual drug addicts.....our parks and pavements are littered with discarded "baggies" often still containing residual product and have also seen evidence of this around various building sites in the Kyalami area....so this drug is not only consumed by affluent offspring of those in the mink and manure belt....but also laborers  so nothing to dispel that grooms or those okes working in labs  could also be on this sh!t.....possible accidental sample contamination or deliberate malice cannot be ruled out.....

Sure Marwing married into a big vet family, this is hard to believe