Howmuchdoyouloveme in spotlight again

Trainer Con Karakatsanis is again in the spotlight with Howmuchdoyouloveme who has been found to have swelling in his offside jugular vein.

During a routine inspection of horses engaged at Randwick on Saturday, the Racing NSW Surveillance Unit reported Howmuchdoyouloveme had swelling over its off side jugular vein, reportedly from a blood sample taken on Wednesday.

The swelling was being monitored by the stable veterinarian who would undertake a final inspection before scratching time on Saturday.

Howmuchdoyouloveme is due to run in the Group Two Premiere Stakes (1200m) on Saturday.

Karakatsanis is facing charges relating to unregistered products found in his stable after Howmuchdoyouloveme was scratched from The Shorts on September 17 amid concerns he may have been treated on raceday after a lump was found on his neck.

Karakatsanis is operating on a stay of proceedings pending an appeal against a four-month disqualification for improper practice.

He and racehorse owner Angelis Vasili were both outed after stewards found Vasili was in effect training five horses on his Warwick Farm property without a licence.

The horses were listed as being in the care of Karakatsanis.

In 2012 Victorian stewards allowed Howmuchdoyouloveme to run in the Group Two Yellowglen Stakes at Flemington despite tubing equipment being found in the horse’s box.

Karakatsanis and his father, former trainer Tony Karakatsanis, were subsequently disqualified for breaching raceday treatment rules.

Howmuchdoyouloveme, a multiple stakes winner, is an outsider in the Premiere Stakes with Group One winner English the ruling favourite.