Victoria’s latest cobalt case came into the public domain in unusual circumstances on Thursday.
Normal Racing Victoria procedure is to advise the media of swab irregularities via a press release but Kane Harris decided to get on the front foot and announce the latest stewards’ investigation on Racing Victoria’s television channel.
Harris was asked about the chances of his charge Nitro Nick before a race at Geelong but the trainer took the opportunity to announce the gelding had produced an elevated reading to cobalt after a race at Mornington last month.
Harris also insisted his stable was innocent of any wrongdoing, declaring offending readings came from usual vitamins and minerals contained in normal equine nutrition products.
‘We are really happy with the horse at this stage and if he comes through it with a clean blood test due to Racing Victoria not wanting to do a cobalt test on the horse and pulling a positive at Mornington,” Harris said.
”I’ve informed all owners he’s in really good order and probably cobalt is a mythful (sic) thing but if you believe in it, well you’d better hop on him.
”From his Mornington run, we’ve had two positives and it’s looking like it’s due to vitamins and minerals and so forth.
”In saying it, we are probably better off in the stables getting it out before Racing.com’s website puts a flabbergastery (sic) sort of comment to it.’
”Our stables is a clean stables. We remain a clean stables and we won’t do as the stewards suggest in pleading guilty and copping 18 months but the facts are that we are a stables that is probably not affordable to be able to go to war with the big dogs.
”Look, we’re only in the early stages of the cobalt scene but I’d like to inform everyone that our stables is a clean stables and we remain a clean stables.
“The horse has come here today with my request as of Saturday asking for a blood test and the horse has been treated as per normal and hopefully he comes through as per normal.”
Racing Victoria chief steward Terry Bailey said his department was not in a position to comment on Harris’s announcement.
Nitro Nick finished last of eight at Geelong, beaten more than 16 lengths.
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