What really happened at Godolphin…By Rob Young

John O’Shea was fined $30,00. Photo courtesy Ross Stevenson.

It’s probably fair to assume that the dust has largely settled at Godolphin after the strangles inquiry and the departures of Henry Plumptre and John O’Shea. After all, James Cumming is in the trainer’s chair, the winners are still coming and the Godolphin Blue is still a major feature of any metropolitan race meeting in the country.

But there are still lessons to be learned.

If the reports are to be believed, it seems that John O’Shea and Henry Plumptre offered differing versions of the events surrounding the positive strangles test on Polemic in August, 2016. O’Shea claimed that he wasn’t aware of Polemic’s problems as the horse had been sent from the Warwick Farm Crown Lodge racing stables to their Osborne Park spelling base. That’s normal practice when a horse is found to have a medical problem such as an elevated temperature, and it happens quickly. Polemic was found with a high temperature on July 28, and was sent to Osborne Park on July 30.

But Plumptre has said that he told O’Shea that Polemic had strangles, and Godolphin’s Head Vet, Dr Trevor Robson told stewards that O’Shea was made aware of the positive strangles test on August 4. Against that,  Dr Graham Adams, the vet who took the swab sample and sent it to Vetnostics for testing, was adamant that he didn’t get the results from Vetnostics until the Friday, August 5, so the only way Dr Robson could have told O’Shea in the Thursday was if a verbal report had been received. Dr Robson has said that was exactly what happened, Dr Adams relayed the results of the test on Polemic to him on the Thursday and the confirming results were received on the Friday at 10.45 am.

Dr Robson also told stewards that “When they go out … John didn’t want to hear about those. He had enough to do deal with, with all the racehorses”. The Chief Steward, Marc Van Gestel, pushed Dr Robson on this, saying “He didn’t want to hear about the sick horses?” and Dr Robson replied “No”.

Then, it also seems that Polemic’s health had been talked about at an impromptu meeting on August 5 between Plumptre, O’Shea, Robson and Paul Reid, as Assistant Trainer. Trouble is that what was discussed has different versions. O’Shea says that it was a “broad-based conversation” about “a horse in the paddock was showing symptoms” of strangles. Dr Robson, Plumptre and Reid all gave evidence that they discussed Polemic’s positive test, and that it wasn’t a “broad-based conversation” about “symptoms”. Plumptre said “We all knew there was a positive because that’s what the vets told us. I’m not in any doubt that O’Shea knew.”

Dr Robson then went on to say that it was a “decision made by Henry (Plumptre) not to tell them (stewards) that Polemic was suffering from strangles. Dr Robson also told stewards that 43 horses were vaccinated against strangles between August 6 and August 14, and accused O’Shea of saying “just do the good ones”.

The end result has been that O’Shea has been fined $30,000 – $20,000 for giving false and/or misleading evidence to stewards, and $10,000 for being party to Plumptre’s breach of Rule AR64K(2). That’s the rule that says that connections must notify stewards as soon as possible after the detection of a nominated disease. Strangles is a nominated disease. Plumptre copped a fine of $15,000.

What a mess!

Two reputations have taken a belting. O’Shea is considering an appeal against the false evidence charge, but neither O’Shea nor Plumptre seem to be challenging the breach of Rule AR64K(2). And, given the evidence, the chances of any ongoing and constructive working relationship between O’Shea, Plumptre and Robson after the initial enquiry would have been zero. No wonder O’Shea and Plumptre are no longer with Godolphin. It’s only amazing that the final split took so long to happen!

There are several things for the industry, and participants to learn from this saga.

Firstly, not even arguably the leading racing brand in the world has the right to ignore the Rules of Racing. I am sure that $15,000 is probably petty cash to Plumptre, but the embarrassment of being caught out cheating in what was probably the most influential management role in Australian racing is no small thing. And cheating it was. Strangles might not be in the same contagion category as equine flu, but it is a bloody serious thing. The sheer arrogance of putting the rest of the industry at risk by deciding to hide a strangles problem is amazing. Somehow, I don’t think that racing is the poorer for a lesser involvement by somebody prepared to flout the rules in this way.

The next lesson to be learnt is that, in any endeavour involving a lot of people and a lot of assets, trust, openness and teamwork are absolutely vital. The evidence in this case shows little understanding of this simple fact of business.

So, where are we at?

Australian racing needs Godolphin. Godolphin needs a re-boot, and that’s happening. But does Australian racing need Plumptre? John O’Shea has re-started as a private trainer, and there is no reason to wish him ill, but maybe a re-think of certain attitudes might be in order.

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