Currie asks to defer show cause hearing

Toowoomba trainer Ben Currie has asked for a two weeks deferment of a hearing in which he will be asked to show cause why he should not be suspended.

The Toowoomba-based trainer was hit with seven animal cruelty charges including use of jiggers.

Currie already faces 28 charges from a raid on his stables in April last year and four unrelated positive swab charges.

He has been instructed to appear before stewards at 10am on Monday to argue why he shouldn’t be suspended until the charges are dealt with.

Currie’s barrister Jim Murdoch said Currie’s legal team had written to chief steward Peter Chadwick asking for a deferment.

“It will give us natural justice in that we can prepare for Currie’s hearing. We are already set to appear in the Supreme court of Friday to have other matters of natural justice resolved,” Murdoch said.

Chadwick was not at Doomben on Saturday and a reply is expected in the next few days.

The Brisbane Racing Club has banned Currie from attending Doomben and Eagle Farm race meetings until charges against him are resolved.