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Last Updated: August 01, 2015
Weather: Gold Coast 13°C - 23°C . Sunny.
SPORT
Career best races linked to cobalt
BRAD DAVIDSON GOLD COAST BULLETIN AUGUST 01, 2015 12:00AM
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THREE horses embroiled in Queensland’s cobalt scandal produced career-best performances when they tested positive to the banned drug with one horse improving 10 lengths on its previous start.

The Gold Coast Bulletin can reveal In The Sky Rocket (March 29, 2014), French Lesson (January 31, 2015) and Vimzig (May 16, 2015) all produced peak career ratings in the races where they returned positive samples to cobalt.

All three horses also firmed in betting in those particular races.

Fluctuations from one of “Australia’s major betting agencies”, provided by DynamicOdds.com, showed French Lesson ($8.50-$4) and In The Sky Rocket ($16-$8) both firmed significantly while Vimzig also shortened from $2.80-$2.50. French Lesson and Vimzig both won, while In The Sky Rocket ran second.

Cobalt is a heavy metal salt, which is present in all animals at very low trace levels but at high levels can assist in generating more red blood cells to carry oxygen through the body and therefore postpone the onset of fatigue.



Vandalised. Photo: Glenn Barnes
The other two thoroughbred horses to test positive to cobalt in Queensland, Vandalised (June 21, 2014) and Grey Countess (May 30, 2015) did not return a career peak rating in the races in question but the figure was a peak for that racing preparation for both horses.

Both Vandalised ($8-$7-$8) and Grey Countess ($5.5-$7.50) either remained steady or drifted in betting in the races in question and finished first and second respectively.

The range of improvement from the five horses starts before testing positive to cobalt ranged from one length to 10 lengths.

French Lesson.

The figures are based on The Rating Bureau’s weight-for-age performance ratings.

TRB’s Daniel O’Sullivan said In The Sky Rocket recorded a rating 10 lengths higher when testing positive to cobalt at Doomben on March 29 when compared to its most previous start at the Gold Coast on March 15.

“However, In The Sky Rocket’s rating on March 29 (85.6) was only marginally better than two runs prior at Eagle Farm (82.5) and the start prior to that at Doomben (81.2),” he said.

“The three runs since that run (where he tested positive to cobalt) have been almost five lengths, 11.5 lengths and two lengths inferior.”


Vimzig wins a race at Toowoomba on May 16. He produced a positive sample to cobalt after this race.
In The Sky Rocket’s trainer at the time, Len Treloar no longer holds a trainers’ licence in Queensland and could not be contacted yesterday.

Grey Countess returned a cobalt reading of 1300 micrograms per litre of urine (ug/L) at the Gold Coast on May 30, which is 6.5 times above the 200ug/L cobalt threshold in Australia.

The reading is the highest recorded in the five thoroughbred horses who have returned elevated cobalt readings in Queensland.

O’Sullivan said Grey Countess improved six lengths from her previous start and an average of five lengths from her two starts prior to testing positive to cobalt.

“Then her two subsequent runs (after the cobalt positive) were 2.5 lengths and five lengths inferior to that day so basically the day in question was a big spike in performance,” he said.

O’Sullivan said big spikes in ratings were not “totally uncommon but it’s certainly not the norm”.


In The Sky Rocket (black and red silks) wins in Brisbane.
“Horses can show sharp improvement out of the blue, especially if they’ve proven themselves at a certain level before,” he said.

“In Grey Countess’s case, she’d been to 95 in the past so it wasn’t the biggest surprise in the world to see her run 90.1.”

Grey Countess’s trainer Rochelle Smith put the form reversal on May 30 down to the horse being freshened up for that particular race.

“She won a trial before that start and we gave her a freshen up before that trial and she always races best fresh,” Smith said.

“I wouldn’t say that she has improved six lengths and ... two starts before that run she bucked out of the barriers at Goondiwindi.”

French Lesson only improved one-length from its 7.5 length win at Atherton the start prior but O’Sullivan said the horse’s rating when returning the cobalt positive was “7.3 lengths better than the average rating of his three runs prior to that Atherton victory”.

French Lesson’s trainer at the time, Glen Baker said the horse peaked at Doomben on January 31 because the gelding races “best fresh”.

Vimzig, who is also trained by Smith, improved two lengths from its previous start and Smith put the improvement down to natural progression as well as a weak field at Tooowoomba on May 16.

O’Sullivan said TRB’s weight-for-age ratings are determined through a complex system.

“It doesn’t mean just because a horse wins, they return a higher or peak rating and ratings are worked out via a sophisticated model that firstly determines race strength and then looks at weight carried and beaten margin,” he said.

Smith faced a stewards’ inquiry over the positive tests to Vimzig and Grey Countess on Thursday but the matter has been adjourned. French Lesson’s trainer Baker is still waiting on the outcome of his appeal over the length of his two-year ban, while Vandalised’s trainer Jamie McConachy has successfully gained a stay of proceedings until his appeal into an 18-month ban is heard.

Bolts from the blue
These stats show a comparison of horses’ runs before and after the race in which they returned positive cobalt readings. The offending race is marked in grey and underlined.

VANDALISED

FINISHED: 1st $8-$7-$8

Trainer: Jamie McConachy Record: 33s: 11w, 3p

Rockhampton: May 10, 2014 (Rocky Am. Cup 1600m) 84.5

Rockhampton: June 7, 2014 (Tatt’s Gold Cup 1600m) 87.3

Rockhampton: June 21, 2014 (Rocky Cup 1600m) 92

Doomben: July 12, 2015 (Listed Tatt’s Mile 1600m) 86.1

Rockhampton: October 24, 2015 (Open Hcp 1100m) 94.3

Career peak:

Sunshine Coast: January 17, 2015 (Bench 90 1600m) 95.5

Daniel O’Sullivan’s summary: Rating (92) in race in question was almost 2.5 lengths superior to previous start and was a peak for that preparation. It was almost two lengths off his career peak (95.5) though and he registered a 94.3 next campaign.

Independent handicapper’s rating: Two-length improvement on peak at the time. Has since returned to that level.

FRENCH LESSON

FINISHED: 1st $8.50-$4 

Trainer: Glen Baker Record: 20s: 8w, 6p

Townsville: June 17, 2014 (Class 6 1300m) 76.7

Atherton: November 22, 2014 (Class 6 1400m) 86.9

Doomben: January 31, 2015 (Bench 80 1350m) 89.5

Mackay: June 11, 2015 (Open handicap 1300m) 79.1

Career peak:

Doomben: January 31, 2015 (Benchmark 80 1350m) 89.5

Daniel O’Sullivan’s summary: Rating (89.5) in race in question was a new career peak and was a one-length improvement on his previous start, which was a 7.5 length win at Atherton. The new career peak was 7.3 lengths better than the average rating of his three runs prior to that Atherton victory.

Independent handicapper’s rating: Two-length spike on previous form. Failed in lone run since.

IN THE SKYROCKET

FINISHED: 2nd$16-$8 

Trainer: Len Treloar Record: 13s: 1w, 4p

Eagle Farm: March 1, 2014 (3yo open 1200m) 82.5

Gold Coast: March 15, 2014 (3yo open 1400m) 65.1

Doomben: March 29,2014 (3yo open 1200m) 85.6

Eagle Farm: April 19, 2014 (3yo open 1000m) 76.1

Sunshine Coast: May 18, 2014 (Class 2 1200m) 62.3

Career peak:

Doomben March 29, 2014 (3yo open 1200m) 85.6

Daniel O’Sullivan’s summary: Produced a career peak rating (85.6) in the race in question which was 10 length better than start prior. The rating was marginally better than a couple runs prior at Eagle Farm and Doomben. The three runs since his new career peak have been almost five lengths, 11.5 lengths and two lengths inferior.

Independent handicapper’s rating: Matched peak from March 1. Failed to hit peak in three subsequent runs.

GREY COUNTESS

Finished: 2nd $5.50- $7.50 

Trainer: Rochelle SmithRecord: 32s: 7w, 5p

Goondiwindi: March 22, 2015 (Open 1200m) 82.1

Toowoomba: May 2, 2015 (Benchmark 85 1200m) 77.8

Gold Coast: May 30, 2015 (Benchmark 85 1400m) 90.1

Ipswich: June 13, 2015 (Gai Waterhouse Classic 1350m) 85.3

Murwillumbah: June 21, 2015 (Benchmark 70 1530m) 78.7

Career peak:

Eagle Farm August 9, 2014 (1MW 1200m) 95

Daniel O’Sullivan’s summary: Rating (90.1) in race in question was a six lengths improvement on start prior and an average of five lengths improvement on two starts prior. Two subsequent runs were 2.5 lengths and 5.5 lengths inferior to that day.

* Note: Two rating points equal one length.

Independent handicapper’s rating: Four-length spike on best recent form but four lengths below career peak.

VIMZIG

Finished: 1ST$2.80-$2.50 


Trainer: Rochelle Smith Record: 10s: 2w, 2p

Sunshine Coast: April 18, 2015 (Class 2 1400m) 82.9

Beaudesert: May 8, 2015 (Class 1 1400m) 84.9

Toowoomba: May 16, 2015 (Class 1 1300m) 89.4

* No starts since returning cobalt positive

Career peak:

Toowoomba: May 16, 2015 (Class 1 1300m) 89.4

Daniel O’Sullivan’s summary: Rating (89.4) in race in question saw an improvement of two lengths on start prior and average improvement of almost three lengths from two starts prior. Recorded a new career peak rating when returning a cobalt positive at Toowoomba.
Independent handicapper’s rating: Matched peak from eight days prior. That had been a spike of three lengths on previous form.






THREE horses embroiled in Queensland’s cobalt scandal produced career-best performances when they tested positive to the banned drug