OTI Racing principals urge swift action by Racing Victoria officials

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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