Melbourne Cup winners cleared after drug testing

Darren BeadmanAFTER harness racing identity John Camilleri stated “I know a horse that won a Melbourne Cup on cobalt and EPO”, tests were performed on the past six winners and all came back clean.

Shocking, Americain, Dunaden, Green Moon, Fiorente and Protectionist have all been tested for EPO and returned negative swabs.

The governing body would not commit to testing past Melbourne Cup champions, but said there was little likelihood a recent winner of the race was administered the banned substances.

Racing Victoria chairman of stewards Terry Bailey said the past six Cup winners “have been all subjected to to EPO testing in the lead-up to and/or immediately after their Cup victories and none have returned a positive swab,” Bailey said.

“Furthermore, Racing Victoria was the first thoroughbred racing jurisdiction to introduce a threshold rule for cobalt in April 2014 and the only Melbourne Cup winner since the rule was introduced, Protectionist, returned a clear sample.”

Camilleri, who pleaded guilty to six of seven charges relating to administering banned substances, later retracted his comment and said it was only to “get a rise” out of associates.

“Racing Victoria has worked closely with Racing New South Wales during the course of our parallel investigations into elevated cobalt levels and is not aware of any evidence to substantiate any claim that a Melbourne Cup winner was assisted by EPO and elevated cobalt levels,” Bailey said.

“We are in the view that the text message sent by John Camilleri lacks substance which Mr Camilleri himself admitted during the course of yesterday’s hearing.

“Our priority is to get prosecutions but retrospective testing might be considered at a later date.”

Champion trainer Gai Waterhouse offered her opinion on retrospective testing.

“It’s hard to get retrospective testing now,” Waterhouse said. “There should be testing pre-race and again after the race… let’s make sure it’s drug-free in the future.

“We don’t want Australian racing brought into disrepute.”

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