Moody faces cobalt delay

PETER Moody won’t know for a few weeks whether he will become the fifth trainer to be charged with cobalt offences.

Racing Victoria’s integrity manager Dayle Brown said yesterday they were still investigating the Moody-trained Lidari which returned a urine sample which showed cobalt in excess of 200ml when he finished second in the Turnbull Stakes last October.

“Peter Moody has provided us with an explanation as to what products he was using at that particular time and we have to test that explanation as well,” Brown said.

“These examination and administration trials take time to conduct, but we think it’s the fairest way to do it. Moody’s administration trial is under way and we’re hoping to wrap it up shortly.”

Brown said the trainers charged on Thursday — Danny O’Brien, Lee and Shannon Hope, and Mark Kavanagh — had the same tests conducted and they wanted Moody to have the same opportunity.

O’Brien, Kavanagh, the Hopes and vet Tom Brennan were hit by RV stewards with 49 cobalt charges.

O’Brien and Kavanagh have stated their innocence and yesterday the Hopes took to social networking site Twitter to express the same sentiment.

“When you live by honesty & integrity in all aspects it is gut wrenching to have this challenged,” read a tweet by Hope Racing.

Brown said the Racing Appeals and Disciplinary Board couldn’t hear the cobalt charges against the trainers and Brennan for at least a month.

Brown said they would have a directions hearing with the Racing Appeals Disciplinary Board within a couple of weeks and then it usually takes “a number of weeks after that”.

Brown defended RV’s decision not to follow in the footsteps of Racing NSW which stood down trainers Darren Smith and Sam Kavanagh from training as soon as they were charged with similar offences.

“The trainers provided explanations, in their views, as to how they may have got to a position where elevated levels were detected of cobalt,” Brown said on RSN yesterday.

Brown said the stewards had been able to build and establish “a prima facie” case against them but the trainers maintained their position of innocence and they were entitled to have the RAD Board hear the cases.

Brown pointed out the recent case involving leading harness racing trainer Craig Demmler who was stood down by Harness Racing Victoria on a cobalt charge.

Demmler went to VCAT and had his appeal upheld.

Brown said there was a lot to take into consideration and they hadn’t reached the point where a standing down was appropriate.

The trainers provided explanations

DAYLE BROWN