Inside running: Trainer charged with Cup day stomach-tubing offences

Cranbourne trainer Richard Laming and two of his stablehands were charged on Thursday night with stomach-tubing or attempting to stomach tube Jamaican Rain on Melbourne Cup day.

Stewards ordered the withdrawal of Jamaican Rain from the Flemington race after they acted on a report by Racing Victoria’s Compliance Assurance Team following its morning inspection, which revealed that the horse was lame in the off-fore and not suitable to race.

It’s unsure how or if the leg injury relates to the alleged stomach-tubing, but Laming has also been charged with obstructing stewards from completing their normal duties, “in that he deleted, or incited another person to delete, files from a Network Video Recorder on the premises”.

Laming, and stablehands Marnu Potgieter and MD Zeyaur Rahman, will face charges of being involved in the alleged stomach-tubing or attempted stomach-tubing at a Victorian Racing Tribunal hearing on a date yet to be fixed.

Winx form

Benbatl has continued his incredible form since running second to champion Winx in the 2018 Cox Plate, winning on his dirt debut at Meydan on Thursday night.

The three-time group 1 winner claimed the 1800-metre group 2 Al Maktoum Challenge with ease to race into favouritism for the rich Dubai World Cup on March 28.

The Godolphin star is likely to race next in the inaugural Saudi Cup, worth a record US$20 million, in Riyadh on February 29.

Bold plan

Star sprinter Sunlight is due to return to racing in Adelaide in April before an ambitious bid to race twice at Royal Ascot in the space of five days.

Calvin McEvoy told racing.com that the champion daughter of Zoustar would likely run in the King Stand Stakes on the Tuesday of the carnival and then back-up in the Queen Jubilee on the Saturday, the race won by Black Caviar.

It sets up a likely clash with Nature Strip, who is also en route to England.

McEvoy has earmarked the group 3 RN Irwin Stakes on April 11 and the group 1 Sangster Stakes on May 2 as her likely two Australian starts to get her fit for the overseas trip.