RQ to follow disqualified persons rule

RQ is expected ot follow Vic and not allow banned people such as Ben Currie to win premierships.

Racing Queensland is likely to follow Racing Victoria and introduce rules which prevent disqualified persons from winning premierships.

RQ has been in talks with RV about the rule and it will be discussed at the next board meeting.

RQ faces the possibility of having the state’s leading trainer for the season being a disqualified person and facing criminal charges.

Ben Currie, who is currently disqualified for seven-and-a-half years, is also facing criminal charges for fraud.

He leads the state’s trainers premiership on 134 winners after two were deducted from his total because they were disqualified after returning positive swabs.

But he still leads Tony Gollan who is on 127 with just over a month of the season to go.

In Queensland the state’s top trainer is a prestigious award presented at the annual gala racing dinner in September.

There is still a chance Gollan will overtake Currie before the end of the season but RQ is likely to introduce a similar rule to Victoria to overcome any future problems.

Victoria faced a similar problem with disqualified Darren Weir on 243 and 38 winners clear in its state title race.

He also had 93 city winners to be 30 clear of Lindsay Park in the metropolitan premiership.

On Friday, RV announced it had introduced a rule which prevents a disqualified person being awarded a premiership.