Press Release:
Trainer Ron Quinton has escaped penalty despite being found guilty after two horses in his care were found to have elevated cobalt levels.
Pre-race urine samples taken from both Boss Lane and Imanui in August registered cobalt levels above the permitted threshold.
But rather than penalise Quinton, at an inquiry on Thursday Racing NSW stewards disqualified the horses from the races they had contested when the elevated levels were detected.
Meanwhile Victorian trainer Clive Balfour has been disqualified for six months by Racing Victoria stewards because of the attempted raceday treatment of three of his horses.
Rexmont, Alsimon and Tarpeia were all late scratchings from the Moe meeting on September 25 upon the orders of stewards, who acted following a report from the RV Civic Compliance Team.
Under the provisions of AR178AB(1)(a), Balfour pleaded guilty to three charges, one for each horse, for attempting to inject them on race morning at his stables.
Balfour was disqualified for six months on each charge but stewards ordered that the bans be served concurrently, with Balfour’s penalty to expire on April 5 next year.
According to RV: “In arriving at penalty, the Stewards considered Mr Balfour’s age, his extensive training career, financial position, personal circumstances and his guilty pleas.
“Furthermore, Stewards considered the fact that his actions jeopardised the integrity and perception of racing and public confidence in the sport, together with the need for any penalty to send a strong message to all participants of the seriousness of the offence.
“Mr Balfour has been granted seven days to get his affairs in order, including the transfer of horses from his care.”
