By: Brent Zerafa
Racing Victoria stewards have presented Peter Moody an opportunity to appeal his six-month suspension but the leading trainer is unlikely to take up the offer.
Moody received a letter this week explaining that due to doubt over the accreditation of testing laboratories in the Mark Kavanagh and Danny O’Brien cobalt cases, RV would allow him to submit an appeal if he felt he would like to mount a challenge on those grounds.
The former leading trainer was a little perplexed by the letter from RV but indicated another legal fight was not high on his agenda.
Moody had 28 days to appeal his six-month suspension but that window has now been re-opened.
“If I wanted to return to training I could do so in about two months,” said Moody, who began his suspension in late March.
“I’ll have a look at the matter with my legal team but I think I’d rather just sit back and see what happens.”
Moody was found guilty of a presentation charge rather than administering cobalt to Lidari in theTurnbull Stakes of 2014, incurring a 12-month suspension that was reduced to six on a suspended sentence.
RV chief steward Terry Bailey acknowledged the letter but denied such action was an admission that the testing of cobalt samples hadn’t been done in accordance with the rules.
“From where we sit we are more than satisfied with the processes we have taken,” Bailey said.
“We sent a courtesy letter to Mr Moody, saying that due to the matters identified in the other cases, if he felt it was a matter he would like to pursue, then we wouldn’t oppose an application to appeal.”
