OTI Racing principals urge swift action by Racing Victoria
officials
Terry Henderson and Simon O’Donnell, principals of leading
Australian syndicate OTI Racing, have released a special edition newsletter to
their partners, expressing their views on the ongoing cobalt scandal in
Victoria.
One of several horses to have returned elevated levels of cobalt is Lidari (Acclamation), trained for OTI by Peter Moody and who was
tested following his runner-up effort in the Turnbull S. (Aus-G1) on October 4.
Henderson
and O’Donnell re-affirmed their position on doping, saying, “We abhor the use of
illegal practices to gain advantage or impact negatively on the well-being of
our racehorses,” and expressed full support to the Integrity Department of
Racing Victoria. The pair also voiced concerns as to the level of influence that
vets have gained in racing stables over the last 30 years.
“There has been a
distinct cultural shift since the 1980’s in favor of their use,” they said.
“Given the dependence by many trainers on their services, one wonders if we have
now reached the position where vets have far too much influence. For some
trainers, the vets are the prime, possibly the only, source of research on
medications and supplements.”
Henderson and O’Donnell continued, “There is
little doubt that this cultural shift in the use of vets has led to the overuse ofpre-race/post-race medications (many scientifically shown to be useless) as
well as over-treatment generally. Some trainers see these treatments as some
sort of ‘security blanket’ around race time. Such unwarranted services take the
focus away from horsemanship, the core of a trainer’s business.”
In addition to its Australian contingent, OTI Racing has
horses in training in several European countries.
“We know that, on average, vet costs in Australia are over four times those
of some of the world’s best training stables in France and the UK,” the managing
duo pointed out.
In the same document, Henderson and O’Donnell called for
swift action by Racing Victoria officials, putting forward a measure aimed at
restoring the industry’s integrity.
“While we understand due process must be followed, lack of
action in the interim only adds to the loss of credibility,” they said. “One
action worthy of consideration is the appointment of a stable steward from the
integrity team to work within each of the stables. Such a step would do little
in respect of past practices, but it would help confirm that current practices
of each of the stables are appropriate.
“Importantly, it may help mitigate some
loss of the industry’s reputation during the investigation. The trainers
themselves should benefit as the goodwill shown on their part may assist in
protecting their reputations.”
In related news, the Emirates Racing Authority (ERA) have stressed that
cobalt testing is already implemented in the UAE as the Dubai World Cup Carnival
(DWCC) rolls into its third week.
“The Emirates Racing Authority have been survey testing for cobalt in both urine
and blood samples for Thoroughbreds and Purebred Arabian horses since January
2014,” ERA spokesman Andrew Holmes told The National. “The ERA is confident from the results obtained thus far that cobalt
treatment abuse is not prevalent in UAE racing. However, surveillance and
testing will continue to monitor both race day and non-race day levels of cobalt
while recognized international threshold levels are established.”
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