LEADING trainer Craig Widdison has vowed to return to racing.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Widdison was disqualified for two years by the Victorian Racing Tribunal on Wednesday after pleading guilty to administering, or causing to be administered a prohibited substance to Cash Crisis.
A shellshocked Widdison said he felt a two-year ban was a hefty price to pay for a first offence considering other trainers had received much lighter sentences for similar breaches.
"You look at most of the previous cases for bicarb and trainers have received three or six-month bans," Widdison said.
"But I think the VRT has recently changed how they operate and to be honest you can't beat them.
"It's like you have to prove yourself to be innocent instead of the VRT proving that you are guilty.
"At the end of the day Cash Crisis returned an elevated bicarb reading and I couldn't argue that.
"The VRT were seeking a three-year ban but my legal team advised me to plead guilty and receive a reduced sentence.
"But it is what it is and life goes on."
Widdison said he wouldn't be appealing the length of the ban.
"It's a harsh penalty especially considering I've had no prior offences" he said.
Widdison conceded that the drawn out process of the hearing had taken a toll.
Cash Crisis returned the positive swab after racing at Sandown in February last year.
Widdison was informed by stewards of the positive swab a week later. He was charged in August before fronting the VRT on Wednesday.
"That's probably the worst thing about this whole saga... how long it has gone on for," he said.
"It's been hanging over my head for more than 12 months and you try not to let it get to you.
"There have been some sleepless nights.
"I even found myself contemplating doing things that I normally wouldn't even consider.
"Just the stress associated with the charge has no doubt been the hardest thing to deal with.
"At one stage we got the case adjourned because the horse went down to Melbourne to be control tested.
"But how long it took to get to that and how long it took after was certainly a drawn out process."
Widdison said the ban would not only affect him but his family and staff.
"The most important thing to me is my family first and then my staff," he said.
"I've been fortunate to have some loyal employees who have stuck with me.
"I've got eight staff and I'm just praying they can find some work."
Despite the mental and financial toll of being banned from training, Widdison said it hadn't dulled his passion for racing.
"I feel at 41 I'm relatively young as far as being a trainer," he said.
"I'm going to keep a positive attitude and who knows it might be the best thing that happened to me to have a break from training and live a so-called normal life.
"But I can see myself returning to training in the future."
READ MORE