Stewards wrap: five trainers penalised for cobalt offences

NEW South Wales trainer John Bradley has been found guilty of having a dog with elevated levels of cobalt, stemming from a race meeting earlier this year.

Bradley was facing the music under the prohibited substance rule, GAR 83(2), for his greyhound Silky Oak, returning a positive urine sample when competing in race three at on August 13, 2016.

Bradley, who came under fire earlier this year for not housing She Can Do on his property, entered an early guilty plea to the charge.

Being a category four prohibited substance, the starting point for penalties under Greyhound Racing NSW's Penalty System is 24-weeks disqualification, however Stewards also took into consideration Bradley's personal circumstances, including 16 years as a licensed trainer with no prior .

With regards to all of the factors presented in the case, Steward Grant Carroll decided to impose a 15-week suspension, while Silky Oak was also disqualified from the event in question.

Rex Jones disqualified

Rex Jones recently faced a GRNSW stewards after his greyhound, Cosmic Topper, returned a positive urine sample to the category two prohibited substance ostarine when competing at on May 24, 2016.

Jones was charged with a breach of GAR 83(2) for presenting the greyhound when it was not free of a prohibited substance, entering an early guilty plea on November 7, 2016.

Upon considering the circumstances of the case as well as well as prior penalties from other cases, stewards imposed a disqualification of 60-weeks.

The greyhound was also disqualified from the event in question under GAR 83(4).

Walsh suspended and fined

A GRNSW inquiry into trainer Noelene Walsh was concluded last week, with Walsh under investigation over a breach of the prohibited substance rule.

The charge related to Walsh's greyhound, Thunda Struck, which returned a positive swab to the prohibited substance cobalt when competing at Dubbo on January 8, 2016.

Walsh entered an early guilty plea to the charge which was taken into consideration by stewards, as well as other circumstances including Walsh's previous record with no positive swabs.

Stewards subsequently decided to hand-down an eight-week suspension and a $500 fine, whilst Thunda Struck was also disqualified from the event in question.

Helen Gates disqualified

Victorian trainer Helen Gates recently faced a Racing Appeals and Disciplinary Board () inquiry after she was charged with four rule breaches relating to GAR 83 (1A) and GAR 83 (2)(3).

The charges were as follows:

1. Gates administered or caused to be administered a prohibited substance to Take The Chance at the meeting on March 21, 2016.
2. Gates failed to present the greyhound Take The Chance free of any prohibited substance when it competed at the Traralgon meeting on March 21, 2016.
3. Gates administered or caused to be administered a prohibited substance to Chicks Buzzard at the Traralgon meeting on June 6, 2016
4. Gates failed to present the greyhound Chicks Buzzard free of any prohibited substance when it competed at the Traralgon meeting on June 6, 2016.

The prohibited substance in question was cobalt.

Gates pleaded guilty to the charges. Stewards imposed a 12-month disqualification, of which nine months has been suspended pending no further breaches of GAR 83 in the next 12 months, for the charges relating to Take The Chance.

Gates was also slapped with the same penalty for the Chicks Buzzard charges.

All up, the combined penalty is 24-months disqualification, however 18-months has been suspended, leaving Gates with a disqualification period of six months.

Both greyhounds were also disqualified from their respective events.

Daryl Williams fronts RABD over cobalt charge

was recently the subject of a RADB stewards inquiry after being slapped with two rule breaches, GAR 83 (1A) and GAR 83 (2)(3).

The charges related to the greyhound Aggi Den which returned a positive urine sample to cobalt greater than the allowed threshold when competing at Geelong on Tuesday April 26, 2016.

Williams pleaded guilty to both charges, conceding that he had given the greyhound a teaspoon of Rapid Ferro iron on a day close to the event.

After considering the circumstances of the case, stewards imposed a 12-month disqualification, of which 10 months was suspended pending no further rule breaches of GAR 83 within the following 12 months.

Aggi Ben was also disqualified from the event in question, with Williams' penalty to commence on December 9, 2016.

Donald Turner disqualified

South Australian trainer Donald Turner recently fronted a Greyhound Racing SA () Stewards inquiry after his greyhound, Bull Titan, returned a positive urine sample to cobalt when competing at Gawler on July 31, 2016.

Turner was charged with a breach of GAR 83(2) to which he plead guilty. Stewards slapped him with a six-month ban, which commenced at midnight on December 4, 2016.

Bull Titan was also disqualified from the event in question.

Todd Kelly gets a positive swab

Prominent SA trainer Todd Kelly has been notified by GRSA that his greyhound It's No Myth has returned a positive urine sample to after it raced at Gawler on October 6, 2016.

This was confirmed when the reserve portion of the sample was tested, with Kelly now required to face a GRSA inquiry into the matter.

WA trainer disqualified for unnecessary euthanasia

Racing and Wagering Western Australia (RWWA) stewards concluded an inquiry last week into the circumstances surrounding the retirement and euthanasia of the greyhounds Jodal, Groovy Bullet and Gox Rocks.

Trainer Phillip Worthington was charged with three breaches of GAR 86(o) relating to misconduct. The first two charges were in relation to the greyhound Jodal and Gox Rocks, with Worthington failing to present the greyhounds to the Greyhound Adoption Program (GAP) for assessment, as requested in a letter on July 4, 2016.

The third charge related to the greyhound Groovy Bullet, with Worthington failing to make a reasonable effort to ensure the greyhound was re-homed when deciding to have it euthanized at the vets on August 24, 2016.

On a letter dated November 29, 2016, Worthington was advised that the stewards had decided upon a three-year disqualification for each offence, to be served concurrently.

As Worthington's licences had been suspended since the inquiry was opened on November 21, stewards determined to back date the disqualification to that date.

Worthington will be eligible to apply for his licence again on November 21, 2019.

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JeffWhite4
JeffWhite4
7 years ago

And the cobalt epidemic continues, with no sign of letting up, and no sign of lifetime bans.