O’Brien quiet on drip
TRAINER Danny O’Brien told a hearing yesterday he did not initially tell Racing Victoria stewards he paid $3000 for his share of an IV drip trial because he feared he would be “wronged” by stewards.
The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal heard O’Brien transferred $3000 from his account to former Flemington Equine Clinic vet Tom Brennan, who is serving a five-year disqualification for his part in the cobalt saga.
Despite being interviewed by stewards on January 14 last year and then on February 24 and May 13, he did not reveal the $3000 payment until Brennan made admissions to stewards on July 20.
Jeff Gleeson, QC, for Racing Victoria, put to O’Brien an honest person would have volunteered the payment in his first interview with stewards.
O’Brien, who has a satellite stable at Barwon Heads, agreed that on January 14, or soon after being informed of positive tests for cobalt, he feared the drip trials were central.
“You have paid Brennan $3000 for the drip trials, and yet nonetheless you don’t tell the stewards,” Gleeson said.
Under lengthy cross examination, he said he had not forgotten about the payment.
“And you were hoping against hope that it remained a secret,” Gleeson said. O’Brien replied: “The way things panned out between myself and stewards, and the tenure of everything post that, I knew it would be used aggressively against me, as it was.
“Once it was disclosed they (RV) put a press release out the next day isolating one fact, as you are well aware, of a multi multi-faceted investigation.
“They put in the press that I paid $3000 for vitamins. It was put in the press that I paid $1000 a bottle — a mystery bottle that I have never seen.
“It was once again used by the stewards in the exact manner that I knew it would be.”
O’Brien said trust with the stewards had broken down quickly. He said there was nothing sinister about the payment but denied he was angry with Brennan for telling stewards about it.
“No, no, no,” he said. “I was angry with Dr Brennan, full stop.
“I knew what exactly occurred in the next 48 hours that (chief steward) Terry Bailey would once again betray everyone’s trust and use it publicly to demean myself and the other trainers despite giving undertakings to Dr Brennan that those facts would not be disclosed until everyone had the chance to examine them in proper proceedings.”
O’Brien and fellow trainer Mark Kavanagh are appealing disqualifications on cobalt charges. The appeal resumes on October 10. November 2 and 4 have been set aside to hear closing submissions.