Stewards today resumed the inquiry regarding trainer Ms S Taylor to clarify various aspects following her previous plea of guilty on 2 April 2015 to a charge under AR178 concerning the detection of cobalt at a level in excess of 200 micrograms per litre from a sample taken at Ascot following Race 5 on 4 March 2015, and the subsequent report of the ChemCentre in Perth that cobalt at a concentration in excess of 200 micrograms per litre was detected from a stored sample taken from IGNITION on 17 December 2014.
The previous inquiry of the 2 April 2015 had been adjourned in order for the Stewards to consider all the evidence and determine the matter of penalty which included conducting analysis of the stored sample from IGNITION that was taken on 17 December 2014 after it had won Race 8 at Ascot.
At the resumed inquiry today further evidence was heard from Ms Taylor, RWWA Industry Veterinarian Dr Judith Medd and ChemCentre Analyst Mr James White. Evidence was also heard via telephone from Professor Paul Mills (Professor of Veterinary Pharmacology – University of Queensland) who was called by the Stewards.
Ms Taylor subsequently pleaded guilty to a further charge under AR178 with the particulars relating to the presentation of IGNITION for the purposes of engaging in Race 8 at Ascot on 17 December 2014 where it raced and finished first, with the prohibited substance cobalt being detected in a post-race urine sample taken from it at a level in excess of 200 micrograms per litre in urine, reported to be 310 micrograms per litre by the ChemCentre.
The inquiry was adjourned in order for the Stewards to consider all the evidence, including the additional evidence heard today and determine the matter of penalty to the two charges.
The previous direction to suspend Ms Taylor’s licence to train pending the outcome of the inquiry pursuant to Local Rule 10(d), remains applicable.
Denis Borovica
General Manager Racing Integrity
www.rwwa.com.au