Leader in his field… renowned Randwick equine vet Percy Sykes in
1974. Photo: Fairfax Archive  Melbourne is abuzz with the
suggestion of neck punctures, syringes at the ready and
drenching for milkshakes, while the more potent frog juice has
come to the fore in the United States.  Dermorphin hails from
the skin of South American frogs and is a powerful painkiller
reputed to be 40 times stronger than morphine.  It comes after
elephant juice (etorphine) and cobra venom, for which positive
samples have been produced.  Down south, the latest stable raids
are seen as playing catch-up after being in denial, and while
NSW may be sitting content as far as the old-time remedies are
concerned, chemists are constantly working on the undetectable.
The line about therapeutic medication to produce a fit, healthy
equine athlete and a drugged-up superstar, capable of pedalling
or galloping forever is being argued.  "Horse racing is an
industry in transition," wrote Dr Scott Palmer, an
internationally known equine surgeon an