A directions hearing for Tom Dabernig’s Formestane case has been adjourned until next Monday to allow the trainer’s lawyer a chance to seek “great clarity” about whether the case can be dealt with “very expeditiously”.
Damian Sheales represented the G1-winning trainer at the Victorian Racing Tribunal on Tuesday morning. He also represented five other Victorian trainers that pleaded guilty to similar charges last year.
While little detail was provided in the short hearing, Sheales said he had been in talks with Racing Victoria’s legal counsel Marwan Al Asmar and both parties had agreed to the short adjournment.
The rescheduled directions hearing is likely to determine whether Dabernig pleads guilty or not guilty to the charge or presenting the horse to race with the banned substances in its system.
“It’s a joint application to adjourn this,” Sheales told the VRT.
“I’ve been in discussions with Mr Al Asmar and I don’t think it’s helpful to elaborate further.
“We’d like to get the thing finished and we will have great clarity in seven days as to whether or not we can move very expeditiously or not.”
The directions hearing will now take place on Monday morning.
Dabernig was charged by Racing Victoria in December after an investigation that found his horse Ashford Street returned a pre-race urine sample containing Formestane, 4-hydroxytestosterone and Testosterone when he ran last in the G2 Caulfield Sprint in October 2024.
Dabernig maintains his innocence of any wrongdoing and is one of at least 24 thoroughbred and harness trainers that have been embroiled in the ongoing Formestane saga that has seen a string of positive swabs discovered by Victoria’s RASL lab.
Last month, Betsy reported that RV CEO Aaron Morrison has sought to conduct a global investigation into the possibility the banned substance at the centre of the drama is naturally produced by horses.
