Cobalt Crisis Deepens in Australia

by Alix Choppin 

Three of the top 10 trainers in Victoria are now subject to investigations into excess levels of cobalt chloride found in race-day samples taken from a total of five horses last October and November. 

Melbourne Cup-winning trainer Mark Kavanagh was notified that the urine sample taken from Magicool (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) following the gelding’s victory in the Listed UCI S. Oct. 4, had tested positive. The Flemington-based handler commented in a statement, “This has come as a complete shock to me as I have always placed great emphasis on integrity and operating within the rules of racing. We are, unfortunately, not the only stable in this situation. I am cooperating fully with the Racing Victoria Integrity Services Department to investigate how this could occur, and hopefully we will resolve the matter as soon as possible.” 

Fellow Flemington trainer Danny O’Brien had three horses returning positive swabs, including a pair of high-profile performers whose samples were both taken at Flemington, Nov. 1. The horses involved are Bondeiger (Aus) (War Pass), before he ran second in the G1 Victoria Derby, and Qatar Racing’s G3 Geelong Cup hero Caravan Rolls On (GB) (Hernando {Fr}), prior to his eighth-place finish in the G3 Lexus S. The third positive test from the O’Brien stable was taken from a horse named De Little Engine (Aus), following a victory at Ballarat Nov. 22. 

In a filmed interview, O’Brien told Racing.com, “Obviously we were disappointed and very surprised [when we heard the news], but the stewards came this morning and were great professionals in letting us know what the situation was. Three of our runners have got levels elevated above what is now the threshold for cobalt when they’ve been at the races. We are trying to ascertain how this has occurred. It certainly couldn’t have occurred through our normal feeding and treatment practices, but we are forensically examining everything that’s occurred with those horses in the time frame concerned, and we are trying, with the help of the stewards, to place these readings in the context of how they have got as high as they have.” 

Asked whether he was surprised that three high-profile stables found themselves facing similar problems at the same time, O’Brien replied, “Obviously there is a cluster and something may come to light to explain it. It is a dynamic area, the threshold is only new and it is a scenario that maybe some of the practices we are doing are not consistent with good maintenance going forward. We are examining everything, the vet is going through everything that he does, and we are hoping to get a resolution as quickly as possible to explain it and put it into context.” 

Racing Victoria (RV) chairman of stewards Terry Bailey issued a statement saying, “Following receipt of RASL’s [Racing Analytical Services Ltd] report, we are conducting investigations into the circumstances that led to the elevated levels of cobalt being detected in race-day samples taken from horses from the Moody, Kavanagh and O’Brien stables. It is now our priority to gather all the facts to determine the circumstances surrounding each case. We will not be putting a timeline on the completion of this process and will not be commenting on the specifics of each case whilst our investigations continue. Our investigations will determine whether any or all of the trainers will be charged with a breach of the Rules of Racing. They have the presumption of innocence and are free to continue racing at this time.” 

Bailey also pointed out that, should prohibited substance charges be laid by RV stewards, they would be heard by the independent Racing Appeals and Disciplinary Board, not RV stewards. Late Wednesday evening (Eastern Australian time), the Sydney Morning Herald revealed that all three trainers had been interviewed by RV stewards during the day, and additional samples taken from the horses involved in the investigation. 

The cobalt crisis seems likely to expand to Queensland after Racing Queensland general manager of integrity operations Wade Birch told The Courrier Mail he had been informed of irregularities in several horses trained in the state. 

“We have some current samples across both codes [Thoroughbred and harness racing] that have been identified as requiring further analysis,” Birch said, adding, “It is evident that it has been used in both codes.”