Racing investigators then visited Brownlee\u2019s training site in P\u014dkeno and both he and his father, who owns the horse, consented to be drug tested as well. <\/p>\n
Forensic swabs were also taken of the truck used to transport the horse and the stables, which were clear of traces of the Class A drug. <\/p>\n
While a urine sample taken from Brownlee was also clear, a hair follicle sample returned a positive result for methamphetamine, amphetamine, and THC Acid. <\/p>\n
Brownlee claimed he hadn\u2019t used meth since 2012. <\/p>\n
While none of Brownlee\u2019s horses have ever failed a drug test before now, he was disqualified from the racing industry in 2012 for a positive meth test, and again in 2015 after racing investigators found cannabis in his system. <\/p>\n
The RIB then pressed charges against Brownlee, seeking his disqualification from the industry and noting that methamphetamine use struck at the heart of the industry\u2019s \u201csocial licence\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe mere presence of the substance has the potential to undermine public confidence in racing outcomes,\u201d the board said. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe need for general deterrence is particularly acute in methamphetamine cases due to the known risks of contamination and the seriousness of the drug involved.\u201d<\/p>\n
The board said that exposure to methamphetamine posed a significant animal welfare issue with animals. It also noted that the breach occurred on a race day and that the horse won its race. <\/p>\n
After initially denying taking the substance, Brownlee admitted the charge before the board. <\/p>\n
However, he made the point that he didn\u2019t intentionally administer the drug to the horse, rather it got into the animal\u2019s system by exposure to Brownlee\u2019s own use. <\/p>\n
Brownlee also noted that while he had two prior disqualifications for drug use, these were both more than a decade prior, and he had no breaches in regard to his animals. <\/p>\n
Brownlee said that an 18-month disqualification was too heavy, and that he had already lost the $4400 winning stake after the horse was disqualified, and would suffer reputational damage in the racing industry.<\/p>\n
An adjudicative committee of the board met at the start of February 2026 and found that the presence of methamphetamine in Brownlee\u2019s hair sample suggested long-term use as opposed to a one-off. <\/p>\n
\u201cMethamphetamine is classified as a Class A Drug and is recognised as a powerful central nervous system stimulant.<\/p>\n
\u201cIts ingestion by a racehorse (thoroughbred or standardbred) constitutes a significant animal welfare concern… the respondent should have known the risks and consequences of methamphetamine use and contamination, making the breach more serious. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe ought to have understood the potential for contamination and its repercussions.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brownlee is far from the first trainer to have contaminated his animals with the Class A substance. <\/p>\n