Lance O'Sullivan
Tara Hughes
Lance O'Sullivan and Andrew Scott have been fined $50,000 and ordered to pay $10,500 in costs after pleading guilty to presenting three horses to race with elevated levels of cobalt in their system.
Judicial Control Authority hearing chairman Professor Geoff Hall said they had not been influenced by the Peter Moody case in Australia where the leading Caulfield trainer has been banned for 12 months, with half of his penalty suspended.
"We have had to decide this case on the facts presented to us. Significantly, the Racing Integrity Unit has not sought the imposition of a penalty of disqualification or suspension.
"We believe the mere fact that this case has resulted in admitted breaches, and what we consider to be a significant financial penalty, will be a very salutary lesson to the respondents."
The cobalt threshold is 200 micrograms per litre of urine and the three runners from the O'Sullivan and Scott stable to return excessive levels were Quintastics (640), Sound Proposition (541) and Suffire (309).
Quintastics was tested after winning at Matamata just over 12 months ago, Sound Proposition after he ran third in last year's Gr.1 New Zealand Derby and Suffire following her win at Tauranga in February, 2015. They have all been disqualified from their respective placings.
Judicial Control Authority hearing chairman Professor Geoff Hall said they had not been influenced by the Peter Moody case in Australia where the leading Caulfield trainer has been banned for 12 months, with half of his penalty suspended.
"We have had to decide this case on the facts presented to us. Significantly, the Racing Integrity Unit has not sought the imposition of a penalty of disqualification or suspension.
"We believe the mere fact that this case has resulted in admitted breaches, and what we consider to be a significant financial penalty, will be a very salutary lesson to the respondents."
The cobalt threshold is 200 micrograms per litre of urine and the three runners from the O'Sullivan and Scott stable to return excessive levels were Quintastics (640), Sound Proposition (541) and Suffire (309).
Quintastics was tested after winning at Matamata just over 12 months ago, Sound Proposition after he ran third in last year's Gr.1 New Zealand Derby and Suffire following her win at Tauranga in February, 2015. They have all been disqualified from their respective placings.