THE immediate future of Perth Cup-winning trainer Shane Edwards hangs in the balance after he pleaded guilty on Friday to two charges laid by West Australian stewards following their investigations into an assault on track rider and stablehand John Anderson, reports Robert Edwards in the Sunday Age.His report states: Edwards, who trained Guest Wing to win last Saturday's $400,000 Perth Cup, was charged with misconduct and for possession of a device capable of delivering an electric shock to a th


THE immediate future of Perth Cup-winning trainer Shane Edwards hangs in the balance after he pleaded guilty on Friday to two charges laid by West Australian stewards following their investigations into an assault on track rider and stablehand John Anderson, reports Robert Edwards in the Sunday Age.

His report states: Edwards, who trained Guest Wing to win last Saturday's $400,000 Perth Cup, was charged with misconduct and for possession of a device capable of delivering an electric shock to a thoroughbred.

In December, Edwards, 36, was fined $900 in the Midland Magistrates' Court after pleading guilty to possessing a prohibited weapon and to common assault.

Chief steward John Zucal told Edwards' lawyer Damian Sheales that due to the seriousness of the matter, the penalty would not be handed down until Tuesday.

Stewards also charged Anderson, 20, for misconduct after he admitted in a text message to Edwards and at the inquiry to kicking Phenomenons in the stomach and hitting another galloper, Ms Dubawi, when exercising the three-year-old filly on the day he was assaulted at the Egerton Stud property at Belhus on November 8. His penalty will be given at a later date.

Sheales said Anderson provoked Edwards when he told him he had kicked Phenomenons in the ''guts one or two times'' when trying to rug the horse and having struck Ms Dubawi ''several times'' after the horse had headbutted him when riding her.

Edwards admitted he had bought four mobile telephone stun-guns during a holiday in Bali last year. The phone has two nodes at the top and a trigger on the side and, according to evidence given by electrical contractor Michael Frecker, is capable of delivering voltage of similar power to a police taser.