Laming charged over cobalt positive

More than a year after Iam Ekstraordinary returned an elevated cobalt reading in a pre-race urine sample, trainer Richard Laming has been charged by Racing Victoria stewards.

Iam Ekstraordinary’s sample was taken nbefore he ran fifth in a maiden at Ballarat on May 23 last year.

Racing Analytical Services Limited and Racing Science Centre both detected the concentration of cobalt in the sample to be greater than 200 micrograms per litre.

The permitted threshold in Australian racing is 100 mcg/L in urine.

Laming has been charged with administering a prohibited substance detected on race day and an alternate charge of presenting a horse to race when a prohibited substance was detected.

The trainer has also been charged with failing to have his treatment records up to date.

The Victorian Racing Tribunal will hear the charges on a date to be fixed.