RACING NSW and Racing Victoria Stewards have issued the following joint report relating to their respective investigations into elevated cobalt levels returned by horses trained by Mr Sam Kavanagh (Racing NSW), Mr Mark Kavanagh (Racing Victoria) and Mr Danny O’Brien (Racing Victoria):

 

On Monday, 20 July 2015, Mr Tony Hargreaves, solicitor for Victorian veterinarian Dr Tom Brennan, contacted Racing NSW and Racing Victoria advising them that Dr Brennan wished to correct some evidence he had previously provided in cobalt inquiries being conducted by Racing NSW and Racing Victoria.

 

Racing NSW Stewards and Racing Victoria Stewards then took further evidence from Dr Brennan on 20 July 2015, a summary of which appears below:

 

Racing NSW Summary

 

  1. Dr Brennan generally admitted that he had failed to provide full and frank evidence during the Racing NSW Stewards’ inquiry into the elevated concentrations of cobalt detected in a horse trained by Mr Sam Kavanagh.
  2. Specifically, Dr Brennan admitted that:

 

          a. He provided two bottles of an injectable substance or preparation for veterinary use labelled ‘Vitamin Complex’ (marked Exhibits 4A and 38) to licensed trainer Mr Sam Kavanagh, having been provided with that product by another veterinarian, and that he provided dosage instructions to Mr Sam Kavanagh;

 

          b. He received two payments of $1,000 from persons associated with Mr Sam Kavanagh in payment for those bottles, which he asserted he then paid to another veterinarian; and

 

           c.  He disposed of an exercise book used by Flemington Equine Clinic to record postage including Express Post that recorded details of the two bottles being posted to Mr Sam Kavanagh.

 

3. Dr Brennan stated that he denies knowingly administering cobalt. Further, he stated that he made inquiries of the veterinarian who supplied him with the ‘Vitamin Complex’ bottle and that veterinarian assured him that the substance contained no prohibited substances, including cobalt.

 

4. On Tuesday, 21 July 2015, Racing NSW Stewards interviewed the veterinarian identified by Dr Brennan and they will continue to pursue this line of inquiry.

 

Racing Victoria summary

 

1. Dr Brennan generally admitted that he had failed to provide full and frank evidence during the Racing Victoria Stewards’ investigation into the elevated concentrations of cobalt detected in horses trained by Mr Mark Kavanagh and Mr Danny O’Brien.

 

2. Specifically, Dr Brennan gave evidence to the effect that:

           a.  He administered a substance from a bottle labelled ‘Vitamin Complex’ as an ingredient included in intravenous drips given to horses trained by licensed trainers Mr Mark Kavanagh and Mr O’Brien during Spring 2014;

 

            b. He received payments of $3,000 each from licensed trainers Mr Mark Kavanagh and Mr O’Brien in connection with the supply of the substance, which he asserted he then paid to another veterinarian. It is noted that Mr Mark Kavanagh denies making any payment to Dr Brennan and Mr O’Brien disputes aspects of the evidence in respect of the payment.

 

  1. Dr Brennan stated that he denies knowingly administering cobalt. Further, he stated that he made inquiries of the veterinarian who supplied him with the ‘Vitamin Complex’ bottle and that veterinarian assured him that the substance contained no prohibited substances, including cobalt.

 

  1. Dr Brennan has agreed to stand down from providing veterinary services to racehorses in Victoria, effective from 1 August 2015, pending the hearing and determination of the charges against him.

 

  1. Racing Victoria Stewards are pursuing further lines of inquiry as a result of the evidence provided by Dr Brennan.

 

A transcript of the further evidence will be provided to the other relevant parties charged by Racing NSW and Racing Victoria.

 

Racing NSW Stewards and Racing Victoria Stewards will be making no further comment at this time as the matters are subject to hearings within their respective jurisdictions.