Kembla trainer Paul Murray has been found guilty of all charges for two separate cobalt offences at a hearing on Thursday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Racing NSW stewards found Murray guilty of three charges involving former stable star Alma’s Fury in 2013 and a further two charges regarding a substance labelled ‘concentrated trace mineral’ found at his stable in 2014.
Elevated levels of cobalt were detected in a stored sample from Alma’s Fury taken following the gelding’s second placing in the Doncaster Prelude at Royal Randwick on April 13, 2013.
The tests showed levels of 890 and 940 micrograms per litre of urine. A cobalt threshold of 200mcg/L was introduced in January 2015. That number was halved from September last year.
Racing NSW stewards rejected arguments by Murray’s counsel that cobalt was not a banned substance at the time and hit the trainer with three charges for administering a prohibited substance to Alma’s Fury “for the purpose of affecting the performance” of the horse.
The second offence occurred on June 17, 2014 when Racing NSW officials discovered an unknown substance in Murray’s fridge at his stable at Kembla Grange.
After testing, the substance was found to have elevated levels of cobalt that could rise to an offence under racing rules if administered to a horse. Murray was found guilty of two charges relating to the substance. The trainer had made a not guilty plea to all five charges.
A date has not been set for the submission of the penalty and whether Alma’s Fury will be disqualified the Doncaster Prelude.