Suspended Kavanagh To Front Swab Inquiry

Thursday, 21 May 2015 08:22

Sam Kavanagh will face an inquiry into a positive swab involving cobalt and caffeine after being stood down from training.

Kavanagh will answer eight charges when he fronts Racing NSW stewards at a hearing expected to take place early next month.

His licence to train from his emerging Rosehill stable was suspended by stewards from Wednesday, pending the outcome of the hearing.

The Kavanagh-trained Midsummer Sun tested positive to cobalt and caffeine after winning the Gosford Gold Cup in January.

Kavanagh has also been charged for breaches of a racing rule which deals with the race-day administration of medications.

The charges relate to Midsummer Sun's win at Gosford and treatment given to Ceda Miss and Palazzo Pubblico before they raced at Warwick Farm two days earlier.

A stewards' statement says Kavanagh has admitted giving misleading evidence during their investigation.

Incriminating evidence had also been given by a person in relation to the race-day administration and supply of medications to Kavanagh.

"In suspending his trainers' licence ... stewards formed the opinion that Mr Kavanagh's continued participation in racing might pose an unacceptable risk to prejudice the image, interests or integrity of racing," the statement read.

A breach of racing's race-day treatment rules carries a mandatory disqualification.

Kavanagh landed his biggest win since opening a Sydney stable in 2013 when Tales Of Grimm won the $200,000 Scone Cup last Friday.

The 29-year-old is the son of Melbourne Cup-winning Mark Kavanagh who along with fellow Victorian trainers Peter Moody, Danny O'Brien and the partnership of Lee and Shannon Hope are under investigation for elevated cobalt levels.

Stewards have also confirmed a positive swab to methylamphetamine and amphetamine from a horse trained by John McNair.

Normandy returned the positive sample after finishing unplaced in a race at Newcastle in March.

An inquiry will be held on June 4.