Peter Moody says cobalt has been “blown out of proportion” and a trainer like him has no reason to cheat.
Moody’s defence has blamed Lidari’s elevated cobalt reading after his second in the 2014 Turnbull Stakes on a stablehand mistakenly giving the horse large doses of oral hoof treatment Availa, at seven times the recommended quantity.
Racing Victoria stewards’ barrister Jeff Gleeson QC said he will be telling the Racing Appeals and Disciplinary Board not to believe the story.
“No talented trainer with a passion for horses, who is up before dawn six or seven days a week, in the stables, would ever conduct themselves in the way you’re asking the board to believe,” Mr Gleeson said on Friday.
Moody responded: “I would put back to you the person in the same situation wouldn’t find any reason to cheat.”
The trainer said he did not believe the elevated cobalt reading was a serious concern until he was charged in July with administering a prohibited substance to affect the performance of a horse in a race, which carries a minimum three-year disqualification.
He said he thought he would be charged with presentation but not administration.
“That rule’s been brought in so a trainer can never walk free, so a trainer must be penalised. That’s why it was brought in,” Moody said.
“I still believe cobalt as a drug has been blown out of proportion.”
