Trainer reveals cobalt positive on live TV

Mornington trainer Kane Harris has revealed a horse in his stable has tested positive to cobalt, during a live pre-race interview at Geelong.

Harris hit-out at Racing Victoria and its media arm Racing.com before Nitro Nick raced on Thursday, saying vitamins and minerals were behind the two positives which were recorded after the horse finished third at Mornington on December 14.

He said the stable was, and would remain clean.

“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,” Harris told broadcaster Racing.com.

Harris said RV stewards had refused to undertake a blood test for cobalt despite his request after the positives.

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‘”In saying it, whilst 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” he said.

Nitro Nick ran 16 lengths last in Thursday’s race.

RV stewards have not yet released any details on the Harris case which comes a day after a horse trained by Trevor Andrews returned a cobalt level above the revised threshold of 100mcg per litre of urine.

The Andrews-trained Coppola returned a level of 118mcg/L in a pre-race sample taken before he raced at Geelong in December 4.

High profile trainers Danny O’Brien and Mark Kavanagh are still waiting on a decision regarding their appeals to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal over disqualifications for cobalt positives above the previous threshold of 200mcg/L.