Patterson cobalt ban

QUEENSLAND country trainer John Patterson has been disqualified for 18 months after being found guilty of four charges involving cobalt.

Queensland Racing Integrity Commission stewards opened an inquiry into four post-race urine or blood samples taken from runners trained by Patterson at Roma, in western Queensland, during July last year.

The samples were from Zapata Falls on July 15, and Zapata Falls, Florida Road and Cuban Fury all on July 29.

The inquiry heard the Queensland Government Racing Science Centre found cobalt was detected in each of the samples in excess of the allowable threshold.