Hopes Change Cobalt Plea To Guilty

The father-son training team of Lee and Shannon Hope, who are currently embroiled in a hearing for charges related to cobalt positives returned by three horses under their care, have changed their plea to guilty, according to Racing.com. Racing Victoria stewards still must prove the cobalt was administered for performance-enhancing purposes, and the Hopes say they didn’t purposely deliver a performance-enhancement substance to their horses, saying the positives came about as part of their regular feed, supplement and medication practices, Racing.com reported.

The plea change to guilty means the Hopes will face at least a suspension or fine. The first part of the Hopes’ cobalt hearing ran Oct. 15 to 20, and has been adjourned until Nov. 4.