Trainer injected vodka to ‘calm the horse’s nerves’ before $140,000 race

Trainer Philip Burrows has been banned from racing for 10 years after he was caught on camera injecting vodka and other substances up a horse’s nose ahead of harness racing’s biggest day.

Rakero Rebel was scratched from her $140,000 race at the New Zealand Trotting Cup on November 8 after Burrows and his compliance, Matthew Anderson, were caught giving her substances.

Burrows confessed to investigators at the time that he injected Rakero Rebel with 30ml of vodka “to help calm the horse’s nerves”, and tubed her with a mixture of Epsom salts, bicarbonate of soda, brown sugar and water.

The 51-year-old, who has been training for 26 seasons, said he did it because he felt “behind the eight ball” for the group 1 race and wanted to get the “best result” for the owners.

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On Tuesday, the Racing Integrity Board (RIB) disqualified Burrows from racing for 10 years.

The summary of facts said the RIB was covertly surveilling Rakero Racing Stables in Fernside, near Rangiora, on November 8.

The video showed Burrows and Anderson – who was prohibited from preparing horses for any trial, race day or training after receiving District Court convictions two years prior – taking two horses into the main stable’s tie-up area about 11am.

The 3-year-old females – Rakero Rebel and Millwood Indie – were due to race at the NZ Metropolitan Trotting Club’s Cup Day meeting at Addington Raceway in Christchurch that afternoon.

After being groomed, Anderson held Rakero Rebel’s head while Burrows injected a substance into the horse’s neck using a hypodermic syringe. Burrows later confirmed it was 30ml of vodka.

About 10 minutes later, Anderson stood next to Rakero Rebel holding a twitch – a device used to restrain horses during stressful situation, like vet treatment.

Burrows then emerged with a plastic container containing a ‘milkshake’ or ‘slurry’ liquid and a bucket containing ‘tubing’ equipment.

While Anderson held Rakero Rebel’s head, Burrows applied the twitch and tightened it. He then handed it to Anderson to hold while he took a white plastic tube from the bucket, blew through it, and inserted one end into the horse’s nostril.

Liquid was poured through a funnel and into the horse twice. The procedure is known as ‘tubing’.

Minutes after Anderson and Burrows led the two horses onto Burrows’ float,

RIB Investigators entered the property minutes after Anderson and Burrows led the two horses onto Burrows’ float. Burrows admitted injecting Rakero Rebel with a syringe and tubing substances.

Investigators found the tubing gear in the bottom of a medicine cabinet, and the used 30ml syringe in a rubbish sack.

Rakero Rebel was scratched from race 7, scheduled for 3pm. The race’s total stake was $140,000.

The horse was instead sent to Addington Raceway for blood testing and swabbing, which showed no anomalies.

In a statement to investigators a week later, Anderson admitted holding the horse while Burrows injected her, and to holding the twitch while Burrows tubed. He said he felt “pressured to do so”.

Burrows and Anderson were both charged with administering a prohibited substance on a race day and administering a substance by nasal gastric tube in breach of the one clear race day rule.

Burrows was also charged with letting a prohibited person assist him in the race day preparation of two registered horses, and Anderson was charged with breaching his prohibition rules.

Burrows pleaded guilty to the charges.