A Police raid on an Albion Park harness racing meeting followed a tip that drivers and trainers were using cocaine and ice and giving drugs to horses.
Officers with sniffer dogs descended on the Brisbane raceway after a Racing Queensland request to investigate serious drug allegations, The Courier-Mail can reveal.
Information was obtained suggesting ice — or crystal meth-amphetamine — was being given to horses to enhance their performance and that drivers were on cocaine.
Police did not discover any drugs during the raids at the Saturday night race meeting last month.
A joint police-RSPCA greyhound taskforce — set up after the live baiting scandal — led to the raids in a sign that investigations were expanding into broader criminality in the racing industry.
Nationwide, jockeys and drivers have tested positive for methamphetamines, cocaine and other substances.
Racing Queensland is in the spotlight, with concerns police have not always been kept informed of drug allegations, sources said.
There are also questions over what Racing Queensland does with drug stashes if they are discovered.
Jockeys, drivers, trainers, attendants, officials and others in control of racing animals are banned from taking illicit drugs and some prescription medication that can impair their ability to work safely.
Racing Queensland confirmed it did not inform police of positive drug tests but did report drug possession and other illegal conduct for further investigation.
Urine testing at Albion Park on April 4 resulted in driver Brendan Barnes testing positive to cocaine metabolites. He pleaded guilty and was disqualified for six months.
Trainer-driver Ricky Thurlow tested positive to cocaine metabolites in a random test at Albion Park in October and was suspended for six months.
Two horses in South Australia last year returned positive tests for methamphetamine. In Victoria, greyhound Jubilea Bale returned a positive test for methamphetamine in January.
By David Murray
Reprinted with permission of The Courier Mail