Five Charged In Cobalt Case

The ongoing cobalt doping controversy has sent shockwaves throughout the Australian racing industry and there were further developments on Thursday when five people were charged by Racing Victoria stewards for doping offences. Among these were Group 1 winning trainers Danny O'Brien and Mark Kavanagh. O'Brien, whose biggest success came when Shamus Award (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}) won the Cox Plate in 2013, and Melbourne Cup winning Kavanagh, were charged along with the father-son training partnership of Lee and Shannon Hope plus the veterinarian Dr Tom Brennan. In March, Darren Smith became the first trainer to be banned for cobalt use after being handed a 15-year disqualification, while Sam Kavanagh – Mark's son – had his training licence suspended last month by Racing NSW stewards in advance of a hearing this month.

Elevated levels of cobalt were found in four horses trained by O'Brien, while Kavanagh's Magicool (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) – the winner of the G1 Queensland Derby on Saturday – was some 440 micrograms over Racing Victoria's threshold of 200 micrograms per litre of urine following his win in a Listed race at Flemington in October. Lee and Shannon Hope, who enjoyed top-level success when Fenway (Aus) (High Chaparral {Ire}) won Rosehill's G1 Vinery Stud Stakes in March, face three charges, while Brennan, a partner in Flemington Equine Clinic who was employed by O'Brien and Kavanagh, was hit with 20 charges.