Aust'n trainer of 'wonder horse' Black Caviar cleared of cobalt doping

A top Australian horse trainer, who led Black Caviar throughout her illustrious, undefeated career, has been cleared of deliberately administering the performance enhancing drug (PED), cobalt, to another horse.

The Racing Appeals and Disciplinary (RAD) Board in Victoria found Peter Moody not guilty of intentionally doping his 2014 Turnbull Stakes place-getter, Lidari.

It was the most serious charge of three ruled on by the panel on Wednesday.

Chairman of the RAD Board, John Bowman, cleared the 40-time Group-One winner of the accusation as the panel was not "comfortably satisfied" that Moody had given Lidari, which finished second, the banned substance.

Under Australian racing bylaws, the 55-year-old trainer faced a three-year disqualification if found guilty.

However, Moody could still be slapped with a ban after the panel ruled the cobalt had been administered accidentally. The offence has no set penalty.

Over the past 18 months, the Australian racing industry has been rocked by the allegations of widespread cobalt use, dealing the sport its biggest drug controversy.

Moody has been the most high-profile figure implicated in the 'Cobalt five' scandal as the trainer of Black Caviar, one of Australia's greatest thoroughbreds.

Cobalt is deemed a PED in Australian racing when above the 200 microgram (mcg) threshold, which is very lenient in comparison to those applied by other international bodies.

Lidari's post-race urine sample from October, 2014 was almost double the legal level at 380mcg.

During the trial, which wrapped up in February, Moody blamed the positive drug test on his staff inadvertently overfeeding the long-distance runner a special hoof powder, Avalia.

Veterinary drug expert, Stuart Paine, originally dismissed that theory, saying there was only a one-in-10,000 chance that the hoof powder would lead to a sample in excess of the 200mcg cobalt mark.

But he later admitted he had miscalculated those odds, and there was actually an 87 percent probability of Avalia tipping the stayer over the limit.

Moody welcomed the verdict on Wednesday, stating neither he nor his staff had ever conspired to change the result of a race through systematic doping.

"We never have, never will," Moody told reporters on Wednesday.

"The pleasing aspect of today is that we have been found not to have purposely administered cobalt to enhance or change the horse's performance in any way.

"We've always suggested and put forward that we have never set out to cheat, or fraudulent behavior or anything."

Earlier this year, fellow members of the 'Cobalt five', Danny O'Brien (four-year ban) and Mark Kavanagh (three-year ban), were given lengthy disqualifications after returning positive tests.

The father-son team of Shannon (five-year ban) and Lee Hope (three-year ban) were also found guilty of intentional doping.

All four trainers have appealed the decisions. Endit