After the Main Defender debacle at Greyville on Guineas Day, which forced the postponement of the raceday, due to protests from connections of the horse, to the following Wednesday, the city course produced another 3 TCO2 positives on Daily News day.

With the current set of rules, a horse is tested pre-race and if having initial elevated TC02 levels, the horse is subjected to further tests. If the limit is still breached after further tests, the horse is scratched. The general rule is that a horse should be dropping levels during further tests post the first test and if it has not then it is is scratched. 3 such horses went scratched due to these elevated levels at the course.

Garth Puller's Izibulo and Alyson Wright's Blowin In The Wind were both scratched from race 1 for elevated levels. Cape Eagle, the second favourite in the Lonsdale Stirrup Cup, a listed feature, was also surprisingly scratched due to elevated levels. He is from the Andre Nel stable for prominent owner, Sabine Plattner.

At Fairview on Friday Resurgance (Kelly Mitchley) in race 3 and Fire Alley (Jacques Strydom) in race 6 were both scratched due to elevated levels. For some of these trainers is has not been their first elevated tests.

The threshold limit for the levels have also been increased from 36 to 37 mmol/L after agreement between the NHA and industry trainer bodies.

The current spate of positives is a concern again and this issue needs to be sorted out for the benefit of all parties in racing.