By: Sam Turner
Robin Bastiman, best known for his handling of dual Nunthorpe winner Borderlescott, has been disqualified from racing for three years after a BHA inquiry found the former trainer guilty of injecting 2016 Wolverhampton winner John Caesar with cobalt.
Retrospective testing showed the gelding was more than three times above the legal threshold for cobalt, which improves red blood cell levels.
The BHA did not prove that the gelding’s trainer, Rebecca Bastiman, knew of the injection administered by her father before the race.
Bastiman Jnr took over the trainer’s licence in February 2015 when her father became her assistant. She was fined £5,000 after admitting three rule breaches.
Brant Dunshea, the BHA’s chief regulatory officer, said that the case showed the benefit of retrospective testing.
He added: ‘It sends a clear message for anyone who believes they can evade detection by using substances which they believe are currently not detectable or tested for.’
