Seymour trainer given six-month suspension

Seymour trainer Michael Quadara has been suspended for six months for directing a horse he was riding into the path of another horse and rider.

Quadara pleaded not guilty to a Racing Victoria stewards charge of misconduct, or improper conduct, after directing the horse he was riding on the fibre-sand at Seymour on December 1 last year towards an oncoming horse ridden by trainer Don Dwyer, forcing Dwyer to take evasive action.

In handing down their reasons for finding Quadara guilty last week, the Racing Appeals and Disciplinary Board noted there was bad blood between Quadara and Dwyer with an Intervention Order between the pair.

“It is alleged that what you did was dangerous, with the potential to harm riders and horses,” the RAD Board said.

“We find that what you did was dangerous and grossly negligent. We are reluctant to find that it was your intention deliberately to gallop into Mr Dwyer’s horse, although Mr Dwyer is of that view.

“That was likely to have been a catastrophe for both horses and possibly riders.

“At the last second, Mr Dwyer was able to pull his horse out of the way, or there would have been a head-on collision.”

Quadara was suspended for six months from April 7 and granted a stay of seven days to transfer his horses to other trainers.

As part of his suspension, Quadara cannot enter the Seymour racecourse.