Drug tests clear Ortensia, Kutchinsky

Trainer Tony Noonan's bid for a Group One double in the Stradbroke Handicap and Queensland Derby is back on track after tests cleared Ortensia and Kutchinsky to start at Eagle Farm on Saturday.The Melbourne trainer was told last week a urine sample taken from stable star Ortensia after she won the Group One Galaxy at Randwick showed the presence of a prohibited substance.That prompted Queensland stewards to test the Noonan horses in Brisbane for the carnival including Derby favourite Kutchinsky

Trainer Tony Noonan's bid for a Group One double in the Stradbroke Handicap and Queensland Derby is back on track after tests cleared Ortensia and Kutchinsky to start at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

The Melbourne trainer was told last week a urine sample taken from stable star Ortensia after she won the Group One Galaxy at Randwick showed the presence of a prohibited substance.

That prompted Queensland stewards to test the Noonan horses in Brisbane for the carnival including Derby favourite Kutchinsky and Ortensia who is a leading fancy for the $1 million Stradbroke Handicap.

Noonan told Queensland's chief steward Wade Birch he believed the problem had arisen from contaminated feed and he had identified the batch.

NSW stewards have yet to reveal the substance involved in the positive sample taken from Ortensia and no date has yet been fixed for an inquiry.

"Tony Noonan has said he believed it to be a case of food contamination and the results of the urine tests we undertook last Saturday have come back clear," Birch said.

Tests also came back clear on the Noonan runners Zevada who won the Mitty's Plate and Be Positive who ran last in the Group Two Dane Ripper Stakes at Eagle Farm last Saturday.

Ortensia has eased to an $11 chances in the Stradbroke (1400m) after drawing barrier 21 while Kutchinsky has firmed into $2.50 after drawing gate 10 in the Queensland Derby (2400m).

Ortensia finished third in last year's Stradbroke Handicap and will be reunited with Melbourne jockey Craig Williams who returns on Thursday from a stint in Japan.