GRNSW Stewards dealing with a prohibited substance case will be guided by a penalty table when determining what penalty should be made for certain infringements.

A key aspect of the penalty table is placing common prohibited substances into five distinct categories, based on their severity and on advice from GRNSW’s Greyhound Welfare and Veterinary Services Unit.

For prohibited substance cases in the lower categories (Category 4 or 5 substances, as well as some Category 3 substances at the discretion of Stewards) the trainer will be given the option of entering an early guilty plea.

If the trainer does enter an early guilty plea and accepts the penalty offered by GRNSW Stewards in accordance with the penalty table, they will receive a 25% reduction in penalty and the matter will not be heard at a Stewards inquiry.

If a trainer does not choose to take the early guilty plea, the matter will then proceed to a Stewards inquiry and the right to the 25% discount is forfeited.

All higher category positive swab cases, as well as trainers with a poor record for prohibited substances, will continue to be referred straight to a Stewards inquiry, with no option for an early guilty plea.

Click here to download GRNSW Penalty Table.

Click here to download GRNSW Category of Substances.