Peter Moody has been ordered to appear before stewards after one of his horses returned a positive swab following a recent Pakenham meeting.

Lethal Arrow returned the positive swab after winning a 0-68 handicap at Pakenham on May 17.

A urine sample obtained by the Racing Analytical Service found that Lethal Arrow had traces of Oripavine in his system. Oripavine is a narcotic analgesic which can be used a stimulant for horses.

Following news of the positive test Victorian stewards searched Moody’s training facilities and also took samples from feed bins.

“Feed samples have been taken from Mr Moody’s stable and we will be continuing our investigations but there is a lot of water to flow under the bridge before we get the possibility of charges being laid,” said chief Victorian steward Terry Bailey.

Suspension would be a bitter blow for Moody, who leads the Melbourne trainer’s premiership with 92.5 wins so far this season.  If Moody were to be suspended it would throw the spring carnival plans of one of Melbourne’s biggest stables into serious chaos.

This is the second positive swab for a Moody horse in just over a year after Returntosender returned a positive swab for n-butyl-hyoscine. However Moody pled guilty to that charge after it was revealed that Moody’s vet treated the wrong horse with the drug that is commonly used to treat colic in horses.

Moody was fined $3000 and Returntosender was disqualified from the race (which it had won), and despite the fact that stewards accepted his reason for the positive swab Moody was bitterly disappointed because ‘a positive swab gives people the chance to throw some mud at you’, said the champion trainer following Returntosender’s positive swab.

Since returning the positive swab Lethal Arrow has had two race starts. He was stepped up to a 0-72 handicap after the win in question and finished third. At his most recent start, which was in another 0-72 handicap, Lethal Arrow won easily.

Stewards will get the results of that swab tomorrow.