A GREYHOUND raced to victory then failed a drug test for cocaine.

Four-year-old flyer Tristar was caught with the Class A party drug in his system after blowing away rivals on the track.

5 Tristar was caught with the Class A drug in his system

The substance, which can boost performance, was discovered in a urine sample taken before he stormed to victory at the Shawfield track in Rutherglen, near Glasgow.

But despite fining trainer William Rae, 70, a disciplinary hearing ruled the bizarre case a “mystery” and let him keep his licence.

In a statement, the Greyhound Board of Great Britain said: “Something has gone seriously wrong when it is found that a greyhound has been exposed to cocaine.”

Talented champ Tristar, who has racked up five wins at Shawfield during his 35-race career, won last October’s meeting in less than 30 seconds.

The 6/4 favourite clocked an average 37mph speed tearing round the 480-metre track ahead of the chasing pack.

But tests revealed the prize-winning pooch had ingested a “clinically significant dose of cocaine”.

5 The greyhound tested positive for cocaine Credit: Getty - Contributor

Rae was summoned to a hearing in January where he was found to have broken rules that greyhounds must not take any substances which could affect their showing or wellbeing.

Cocaine is banned for performance reasons and its risk at reducing the dog’s heart function.

Scientific adviser Professor Tim Morris said Tristar tested positive for benzoylecgonine — produced when cocaine is broken down.

Prof Morris told the hearing the dog had probably taken the drug between three and five days be­fore the race.

Further testing of the racer’s hair couldn’t be done because Rae — who told the tribunal drugs were rife in his housing scheme — had sold him.

The trainer claimed a person he reckoned behaved like a drug user patted his greyhounds but couldn’t say if that had been around the time of the sample shock.

5 The hound can be seen running second from the left

Prof Morris said it was “very unlikely” Tristar had been patted by a user.

He said a “far more likely explanation” would be the dog licking an empty drug wrap or a finger dusted with cocaine.

The hearing’s findings stated: “Cocaine and benzolecgonine aff­ects dogs as it does other animals and people, stimulating the brain and nervous system.

“It remained a mystery how the cocaine got into Tristar but the committee could not find on the balance of probability that this was the result of Mr Rae administering the drug to the greyhound himself or knowingly allowing it to be administered.

“The committee accepted Mr Rae’s evidence on the security of his kennel and how he kept his greyhounds, including Tristar.

5 The stadium where the dog runs Credit: Alan MacGregor Ewing - The Sun Glasgow

“It acknowledged that he had taken most precautions that could reasonably be expected for the security of his greyhounds.”

Rae, of Wishaw in Lanarkshire, was reprimanded and fined £500 for breaching three GBGB rules. But he dodged a training ban.

Quizzed on the drugs test, Rae told of his horror at being accused over the scandal.

He said: “I haven’t a clue how it happened. I hate people who take anything to do with drugs.

“I wouldn’t touch anything like that. You can’t do anything like that in Shawfield anyway. The dogs are tested all the time.

“They just blame you. You’ve got the dog so it’s your fault. That’s the way they look at it.”

STADIUM IS ONE OF JUST 22 LEFT IN UK Shawfield Stadium is the only registered greyhound track in Scotland. The site has operated since 1932 and still hosts two meetings each week. Its 480metre course record was set by Droopys Buick, below, in April 2016. The hound scorched to victory in just 28.63 seconds in Rutherglen, South Lanarkshire. It is one of just 22 registered tracks still operating in the UK which are regulated by the Greyhound Board of Great Britian. The highlight of its racing calendar is the Scottish Greyhound Derby in April. Independent tracks — also known as flapping courses — do not need to meet rules on drug testing of pooches or have a vet on site. The only flapping track left north of the border is Thornton Stadium near Glenrothes. Greyhound racing dates back to 1919 when the first track opened in California, US. But the first site in Britain was Belle Vue in Manchester which started in 1926. Scotland once had 12 regulated courses but support for the sport has fallen since the 1960s. Punters wager around £2.5billion on UK greyhound races each year. Around 25,000 of the breed’s pups are registered in the UK each year. Charity The Greyhound Trust rehomes about 4,000 retired racing dogs annually.

Rae insisted he had no need to ply his racer with coke as he had a good track record.

But he admitted he previously had a problem with a dog who he claimed licked a painkilling gel from his arm.

He said: “It happened when I put Voltarol on my arm because I had tennis elbow.

“I had rubbed it on and the dog licked my arm after it. That was the only time but not with drugs like cocaine.

5 William Rae, 70, the dog's trainer Credit: Alan MacGregor Ewing - The Sun Glasgow

“It sickened me. It wouldn’t have bothered me if it’d been something else, a rub or something that I’d done it with, but not for drugs because I hate them.

“Tristar’s a good dog. He won a lot of races. He’s won open races down in England.

“That’s what got me when they were on about the drug. What is the drug for? Does it make them hyper? Does it make them run faster? How does it make a dog run faster?

“I don’t know what they are talking about.”

Rae revealed he has since sold his only other dog, Lightfoot Debbie, as he found it hard to exercise her after injuring his leg.

Punters who bet on Tristar’s drug-fuelled triumph will not lose their winnings.

DRUG COULD KILL POOCHES Just like some humans can have a bad or fatal reaction to illegal substances, the same can happen to dogs. In greyhounds, the dose and quality of unlicensed drugs administered will be variable and therefore the effects are going to be totally unpredictable. It is quite possible that administration of cocaine would cause brain and heart damage, especially if given repeatedly. Fortunately, it’s rare that we see a dog acting strangely and deduce it has had access to an illicit substance. However, there are unlicensed meetings at ‘flapping tracks’ where no drug testing is done. In those situations, it’s quite possible dogs are subjected to stimulants or sedatives on a regular basis, to the detriment of their long-term health. Anybody who administers illegal substances to their greyhounds has no place working with these lovely animals.

The victory also still counts on his official record.

The greyhound has since won a race for his latest owner at Henlow, Bedfordshire.

In 2014, BBC’s Panoroma found evidence that trainers could keep racing their dogs despite failing multiple drug tests.

Steroids or cocaine can be used to make mutts run faster while sedatives are used to slow them down — meaning longer odds at a subsequent races to let owners and punters bash the bookies.

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The sport was rocked by another scandal after it was revealed a County Durham man was charging £10 a time to kill and bury retired greyhounds in 2006.

It was estimated the brute had disposed of 10,000 dogs.

krissy.storrar@the-sun.co.uk

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