Cup of lies: John Camilleri denies claim a horse won a Melbourne Cup on cobalt and EPO

Nic Ashman

THE Melbourne Cup has been rocked by an allegation that a horse won Australia’s greatest race while on “cobalt and EPO”.

Day three of the Sam Kavanagh cobalt inquiry proved to be the most explosive on Wednesday after evidence taken from harness racing identity known as “The Ghost”, John Camilleri.

Camilleri pleaded guilty to six of the seven charges levelled against him by Racing NSW relating to race-day treatments, inside information and bringing racing into disrepute.

He also pleaded guilty to lying to stewards over his involvement with Kavanagh-trained horses.

But the inquiry took a dramatic turn when it heard Camilleri sent a text saying: “I know a horse that won a Melbourne Cup on cobalt and EPO”.

Camilleri claims this was “just a gee-up” and said the multiple text messages he sent to various people indicating he had been doping horses were also untrue.

Betting records showed he had backed Midsummer Sun, Cedar Miss and Palazzo Pubblico — three then-Kavanagh horses at the centre of the scandal.

Camilleri admitted to the inquiry that he was introduced to Kavanagh by Flemington Equine veterinarian Dr Adam Matthews.

The inquiry heard Camilleri provided drenches to Kavanagh.

After Palazzo Pubblico​ won at Randwick on January 17, Camilleri sent a text to a media personality saying: “These galloping Cs have to wake up a week before to outsmart us trotting grubs.”

Asked by chief steward Ray Murrihy​ what he meant, Camilleri said: “I didn’t outsmart anyone. That’s why I am here.”

Camilleri also sent a text message to Courtney Rees at 1.32pm on January 14 this year that read: “SR2 horse 9. I done her at 11.30.”

Stewards identified that horse to be the Kavanagh-trained Zestful, who won on debut at Canterbury later that day after firming in betting.

Camilleri also sent another text message, claiming prominent Melbourne harness-racing owner and friend Paul Sequenzia​ had wagered $25,000 on Zestful.

He also told Kate Attard, a horse dentist, via text message: “I told Swayze (Sequenzia) it’s had one of your bags of magic.”

But Camilleri told the inquiry: “You should disregard all the Kate stuff, it’s all rubbish.”

He also denied tipping Kavanagh’s horses to Sequenzia.

Asked why he would make all this up, he replied: “Racing thrives on rumours.”

Kavanagh is facing 24 charges relating to race-day treatment and prohibited substances. His imported stayer Midsummer Sun returned a positive test to cobalt and caffeine following its win in the Gosford Cup on January 9. There’s an admission from Kavanagh he asked Camilleri to drench the horse on the day of the race.

Drenching is the procedure of giving medicine or a prepared liquid substance directly into a horse’s stomach via a tube usually around three metres long.

The tube goes up the nostril (commonly left) and when it hits the larynx, the horse will swallow allowing the substance to be administered into the other end of the tube.

Camilleri and Mitch Butterfield are also facing 12 combined charges over the race-day treatments while Kavanagh’s stablehand Michael O’Loughlin was asked to answer four charges.

Camilleri told the inquiry he held Midsummer Sun while Butterfield drenched the horse. At the time, Kavanagh was on the Gold Coast at the Magic Millions sale.

Camilleri denies knowing what was in the drench. Stewards are trying to ascertain how a caffeine positive came about.

Tuesday’s inquiry heard that Kavanagh had administered cobalt to Midsummer Sun on December 26 last year. He claims he did not know it was cobalt at the time but claims this is the reason why the horse returned a positive in the Gosford Cup 12 days later.

At the same time as Midsummer Sun was being drenched by Butterfield, the horse was also given a needle but the contents of that shot remains a mystery.

Butterfield and Camilleri claim the needle was handed to them by a stablehand.

Butterfield claims it was vitamin C and Formaldehyde — a naturally occurring organic compound that can assist horses that are bleeders. When horses bleed it can affect their performance in a negative way.