Another Bi-Carb Drama in Melbourne

Sunday, 18 August 2002 00:00

For the second time in a week Victorian stewards have been forced to launch an inquiry after a horse returned a high bi-carb reading from it's pre-race testing.

The Bendigo trained five-year-old mare Manntari Rox was a late scratching by stewards at Sandown today after it was revealed she had returned a pre-race test with the higher than allowed level of TCO2.

Trained by Paul Banks, Manntari Rox, a winner of one of her twelve starts, was withdrawn just nine minutes before she was to have started in the Carlton Draught Lucknow Handicap (2119m) at Sandown.

An inquiry will be held at a date to be fixed.

Today's drama follows on the news that a pre-race test taken earlier in the week from a Stuart Webb trained runner (eventual third placegetter) also returned with elevated levels of TCO2. Webb's inquiry is also yet to be fixed.