Trainer Greg McFarlane appeals EPO ban over expired testing tubes

Gosford trainer Greg McFarlane is appealing a two-and-a-half-year disqualification following a positive test for erythropoietin (EPO) in a mare named Bremel. McFarlane’s defense centers on the claim that expired blood collection tubes were used during the out-of-competition test conducted in February 2025.

While Racing NSW confirmed the tubes were past their expiry date, stewards previously ruled that the expiration would not have impacted the test results. McFarlane, who has been granted a stay of proceedings, maintains that the use of expired equipment violates international anti-doping standards and challenges the validity of the evidence.

In addition to the EPO charge, McFarlane pleaded not guilty to a labeling error regarding a container at his stables, for which he was fined $300. He was also fined $600 for inaccurate treatment records. No EPO was found during physical inspections of his stables.