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WA trainer blames feed for cobalt test

Trainer Sharon Taylor has pleaded guilty to a charge of presenting Ignition to race at Ascot last month with an illegal level of cobalt in his urine sample.

At today’s stewards’ inquiry, Taylor expressed remorse and said she was not aware her regular feed regime could lead to high levels of cobalt in her galloper, Ignition.

Racing and Wagering WA vet Judith Medd identified eight registered supplements Taylor uses to feed her horses that contained traces of cobalt or vitamin B12, which can contribute to the production of cobalt.

Medd told the inquiry the supplements had low levels of cobalt, but repeated administration was likely to have caused an accumulation of cobalt in Ignition.

Tests from the WA ChemCentre revealed Ignition had a cobalt level of 280 micrograms per litre in urine when he ran second to Bangkok Express at Ascot on March 4.

Sydney’s National Measurement Institute confirmed the high level of cobalt, with their tests returning 299 micrograms per litre.

A national threshold of 200 mg/l was introduced on January 1 in response to cobalt rocking the Australian racing industry.

Taylor told the inquiry she was devastated when learning of Ignition’s positive test.

“It was an inadvertent and unintentional breach of the rules,” Taylor said.

“I just got complacent with how I fed my horses. I’ve used the same feed for years.”

Taylor is likely to learn her fate next week.

The Hopeland-based Taylor has an unblemished record in her 12 years as a licensed trainer.

RWWA general manager of integrity Denis Boravica highlighted the fact that warning notices on cobalt were sent out to trainers late last year.

The only other positive test to cobalt in WA has been from trotter Enjoy A Malabu. Trainer Bruce Stanley faces in inquiry into the trotter returning two positive tests last November.