Multiple Charges in Cobalt Case

The cobalt doping controversy in Australia continues to gather pace and it was announced on Thursday that Racing NSW stewards have issued a total of fifty two charges against six individuals in relation to positive cobalt samples taken from Midsummer Sun (GB) (Monsun {Ger}) after his win in the Listed Gosford Gold Cup in January. As the trainer of Midsummer Sun, Sam Kavanagh faces twenty four of those charges along with the veterinarian at the center of the case Dr Tom Brennan who faces eleven charges. Dr Brennan is alleged to have connived or was a party to Kavanagh committing rule breaches and that his conduct or negligence also contributed to Kavanagh's misdemeanors. Kavanagh also faces charges in relation to race day injections and drenches administered to Midsummer Sun and a number of stable mates in the period between September 2014 and January 2015.

Other individuals who have been charged with various offences connected to the case include John Camilleri, Mitchell Butterfield, Michael O'Loughlin and Aaron Corby, practice manager of Flemington Equine Clinic. The trio of Sam Kavanagh, Dr Brennan and Aaron Corby have been advised that the hearing of charges pertaining to the cobalt finding has been set down for July 20 and 21 at the Racing NSW head office in Sydney.