Vamos Raffa has also been disqualified from the race, costing connections $90,000 in prizemoney of which Brunton would have been entitled to $9000.

A pre-race swab taken from Vamos Raffa tested positive to the anti-inflammatory drug meloxicam.

However a post-race swab tested negative.

Chief steward Scott Quill said that several mitigating factors were taken into account when deciding not to disqualify Brunton.

These included the low level of the drug in the horse's system, its therapeutic natural and the fact that all recent meloxicam cases in Australia had resulted in fines.

Stewards also took into account that Brunton's four previous positive swab offences had all involved arsenic and he had no 'priors' for deliberate administration.

The A and B samples of the pre-race swab taken from Vamos Raffa were both found to contain levels of meloxicam in excess of the allowable limit.

The reading was 1.5 nanograms per millilitre when the limit is 1.0.

A separate swab taken from Vamos Raffa after the race tested negative.

Stewards then considered veterinary advice on the absorption and excretion rates normally associated with the drug.

"This was consistent with Brunton's evidence that he had administered the drug in accordance with the recommended withholding period," Quill said.

Brunton's fines consisted of $12,000 for presenting the horse to race when it wasn't free of all prohibited substances and $1500 for failing to keep the mandatory treatment records.

Greyhound trials will back at the Devonport Showgrounds on Saturday.

Although it's a week since the State Government and Public Health gave the all-clear for trialling to resume on the North West Coast, final approval was needed from the show society which owns the venue.

NWGRC president Robyn Johnson said that had now been received so it's all systems go.

Spreyton trainer Adam Trinder is expecting an improved performance from Twitchy Frank at Caulfield on Saturday.

Trinder sent the mare to Victoria shortly before the April 2 shutdown and her first run was a close third in the $125,000 Gold Bracelet at Bendigo on March 28.

However she performed below expectations at her only subsequent start when a fading ninth at Caulfield on April 18.

It was the only time she's missed a top-four finish in 11 starts for Trinder.

"Her last run didn't work out ... she raced a little bit flat," the trainer said.

Twitchy Frank then returned to Tasmania and Trinder has been pleased with her progress since.

"She is presenting well and her work has been good - she was very enthusiastic on Tuesday morning," he said.

Twitchy Frank will be ridden by claiming apprentice Lewis German in a $100,000 mares' race over 1200m.

"She'll only carry 58.5kg in a benchmark 90 so she's well weighted for a group 3 winner," Trinder said.

Twitchy Frank was $8 into $7.50 in the early Ladbrokes market.

Saturday's Launceston harness trials have attracted 55 entries - 22 of them trained by Ben Yole.

Eight two-year-olds will go around including an unraced half-brother to Ryley Major.

Although Yole will dominate the numbers, as always, 14 other trainers will also have runners.

Meanwhile, Harness Racing Australia has confirmed that the national extension to the harness racing season is for this year only.

There has been speculation that a January 1 to December 31 season could become the new norm.

However HRA said that this year's extension, due to the COVID-19 situation, would be a one-off. "The decision will appease industry participants becoming increasingly concerned about the loss of opportunities for two, three and four-year-old feature racing," it said.

The extended racing season does not alter the breeding season. It merely means that all standardbreds will keep their current age until December 31.