Trainer Con Karakatsanis charged

Trainer Con Karakatsanis will front Racing NSW stewards over charges relating to stable star Howmuchdoyouloveme.

Stewards ordered the withdrawal of the sprinter from the Group Two Shorts at Randwick on September 17 when the surveillance team found swelling on the horse’s neck.

Karakatsanis said it must have come from a routine blood sample taken the Wednesday before but stewards could not be satisfied the horse had not received a race day treatment.

On the day, officials accompanied Karakatsanis to his Warwick Farm stable where they found unregistered products.

Karakatsanis has been charged with having substances in his possession not compliant with the legislation.

A release from the stewards said they had the results of swabs taken from Howmuchdoyouloveme on the day but they did not say whether any prohibited substance had been detected.

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

Stewards determined five horses in his name were in fact being trained by their owner Angelis Vasili who was also outed for four months.