Five Victorian trainers fined over Formestane positives

Five Victorian trainers have been issued fines totalling $24,000 by the Victorian Racing Tribunal after horses in their care returned positive swabs to the prohibited substance Formestane and its metabolite 4-hydroxytestosterone.

The matter, which has been ongoing for an extended period, was finalised on Monday after all five trainers entered guilty pleas to charges relating to the presentation of horses to race.

The tribunal noted there was no evidence to suggest deliberate administration of the substance, however the presence of Formestane in post-race samples warranted financial penalties.

Mark and Levi Kavanagh were fined $6000, with $3000 suspended for a period of 12 months. Warrnambool trainer Symon Wilde received the same penalty.

Trainers Amy and Ash Yargi, Julius Sandhu and Smiley Chan were each fined $4000, with $2000 of those penalties suspended for 12 months.

All horses involved in the case were subsequently disqualified from their respective races.