Te Akau Racing have confirmed that human error was responsible for the post-race positive result to meloxicam returned by top two-year-old Tokyo Tycoon following his victory in the Group 1 Sistema Stakes (1200m) at Pukekohe on March 11.
Trainer Mark Walker was notified of the positive result by the Racing Integrity Board earlier in the week and after an investigation, Te Akau Racing have released the following statement:
“Te Akau Racing has analysed the data from our CCTV system and shared it with the Racing Integrity Board (RIB). The data shows that the treatment of Tokyo Tycoon was due to human error by a senior foreperson. This team member is understandably devastated by this outcome, and we are supporting them through this difficult time.
“Te Akau has worked closely with the RIB, which will soon publish its report. We take pride in our integrity and the strength of our systems, but any system in the world can fall victim to human error. Therefore, we will conduct an immediate and in-depth review to ensure that all processes continue to meet our stringent requirements and do everything possible to mitigate any future risk.
“Our commitment to integrity is unwavering, which is why we have chosen to be upfront and transparent about this situation with both our owners and the public.
“We would like to express our gratitude to our owners, especially the owners of Tokyo Tycoon, and the public for the overwhelming number of messages of confidence and support we have received.”
Should Tokyo Tycoon be disqualified, the Stephen Marsh-trained Ulanova would be the Group 1 Sistema Stakes (1200m) winner ahead of Tulsi and To Catch A Thief.