Internal inquiry into the banning of cobalt

RACING Control boss Arnold Hyde has confirmed that there are no further cobalt positives in the pipeline following the three that were the subject of a special National Horseracing Authority investigation in recent months.

Hyde also said that these three were the first cases involving cobalt in South Africa.

However the banned drug has been making racing headlines round the world, most notably in Australia where the trainers given bans after horses tested cobaltpositive include Peter Moody, trainer of the legendary wonder horse Black Caviar who was unbeaten in 25 races including 15 Group 1s. Cobalt can increase the number of red blood cells and so give a greater ability to carry oxygen through the body, thus allowing peak performance levels to be maintained for longer.

Low levels

But low levels of it can occur naturally in horse’s feedstuffs and it is present in vitamin B12 supplements which are often given to racehorses quite innocently.

The NHA’s investigation concluded that this was probably how the three horses tested cobalt-positive and that the NHA was partly to blame.

Managing director Lyndon Barends said in his report: “The notices and information regarding cobalt and vitamin B12 were inconsistently disseminated and cobalt-related documentation had not been correctly reflected.”

The NHA decided not to charge any of the trainers involved “in the interests of fairness and justice.”

It has not named them but, according to the racecourse grapevine, at least one of them is one of the country’s top trainers.

The NHA is in the process of conducting an internal inquiry and has embarked on a country-wide roadshow informing trainers and vets of the use of B12 vitamins, their cobalt-related repercussions and the rules relating to them and other supplements.