Owner Derek Chin and trainer Christopher Prime are contesting the disqualification of 2008 Horse of the Year Storm Street, which won last July at Santa Rosa Park, Arima.

Chin, along with Prime, is seeking leave for judicial review in the Port of Spain High Court and the hearing is listed for today.

Their action stems from the two-year suspension of Prime and disqualification of Storm Street by the Trinidad and Tobago Racing Authority (TTRA) in September.

Storm Street tested positive for the drug robuxin, a muscle relaxer, which the horse previously tested positive for.

Earlier this year, owner/breeder/trainer Maniram ’Boboy’ Maharaj also contested the disqualification of his charge Champagne On Deck (which tested positive for steroids) in the High Court and lost.

Costs were awarded to the TTRA in excess of $750,000.

Chin and Prime’s matter also carries a hefty legal bill and either way the industry will lose in excess of $1 million. Earlier this year the Arima Race Club reported a loss of $1.5 million when it was discovered that money was paid to punters who placed bets on the self-serve betting machines although it was not an authentic winning ticket.

That matter is under investigation since January and has not been completed.

The Betting Levy Board also paid an out of court settlement of $1.5 million to HR Promotions this year after a long-running legal standoff over the setting up of off-track betting outlets by the ARC under a previous administration.

That settlement and other losses have had a direct effect on stakes money paid by the ARC to owners.