NSW trainer Geoffrey Crothers has been disqualified for a period of 12 months and fined $3100 after a prohibited level of cobalt was detected in Luna Angel following her win at Queanbeyan in November.
Racing NSW stewards conducted an inquiry into a post-race urine sample taken from Luna Angel after her victory, which returned cobalt readings of 171 µg/L and 200 µg/L, exceeding the permitted threshold of 157 µg/L.
Cobalt is regarded as a prohibited substance due to its impact on the nervous, musculo-skeletal, endocrine and blood systems, as well as its classification as a haematopoietic agent. Its presence in a race-day sample constitutes a breach of AR240(2).
Crothers pleaded guilty to the charge, with stewards acknowledging it was his first offence. However, they noted that his failure to maintain appropriate stable treatment records hindered the investigation, and he was subsequently disqualified from racing until March 31, 2027.
Further breaches were identified following a stable inspection on December 22, where Crothers admitted to charges relating to possession of unregistered medications, incorrectly labelled substances, incomplete treatment records and outdated stable returns. These offences resulted in individual fines ranging between $500 and $1000.
In total, Crothers received fines amounting to $3,100.
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