Controversial Toowoomba trainer Ben Currie‘s legal team is considering its options after he was denied the chance to have any runners at the Queensland long weekend race meetings.
Currie has been the centre of a year-long saga during which he has at various times been asked to defend 42 allegations ranging from race day treatment to using a jigger.
None of the allegations have been resolved despite a long list of inquiries and hearings.
On Wednesday, Racing Queensland used a revamped Australian Racing rule AR 55 to refuse Currie’s nominations for meetings at Gatton, the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast for Friday or Saturday.
When acceptances were taken on Thursday, RQ used the same rule to deny Currie’s nominations for Toowoomba and Ipswich on Saturday and the Sunshine Coast on Sunday.
The same will apply for Ipswich’s Labour Day meeting on Monday.
AR55 in effect says a principal club can refuse any trainer or owner’s nominations without giving a reason.
An RQ spokesman said the decision should not be seen as RQ making any determination on Currie’s guilt or otherwise on the allegations.
Currie’s solicitor Michael O’Connor said he could not comment further other than saying it was new ground in Queensland and careful consideration needed to be given to all options for his client.