In case anyone's interested in some basic stable routine at this particular stable.

Wisdom has been chasing me but I've always outrun it!

Anyone with a phone can video a lovely snapshot of how good they are? And I do rate Alexander as a trainer. He is one many many good trainers we have

Sorry Archie, I must have been feeling the effects of life, mixing you up with Matt Laurie is just not correct.

Remember, it might take intelligence to be smart , but it takes experience to be wise

Ballarat trainer Archie Alexander has been found to have breached the rule concerning the administration of cobalt, but it is unknown what type of sanction he faces.

The Victorian Racing Tribunal on Tuesday ruled that Alexander had contravened rule AR245 (1) concerning the administration of cobalt to horse Tom�s Knight before it raced at Kilmore in 2018 but, importantly, the ruling did not state that he was guilty of the offence.

In the 14-page ruling released on Tuesday, the VRT noted:

�The Stewards accept that, about a year before the race at Kilmore, Mr Alexander spoke to a Steward concerning whether a particular feed used in his stables might contain cobalt�.�He was advised to check with the manufacturer. This he did, and was assured that there was insufficient cobalt in the feed to produce a positive return and that there were quality controls in place. Accordingly, Mr Alexander used the feed. Tom�s Knight received some of it.�

It went on to say:

��it is not disputed that Mr Alexander had an honestly held belief that the feed did not contain cobalt in sufficient quantity to exceed the permitted threshold. It is not disputed that the use of the feed caused the elevated reading of 2 November 2018.�

In it�s ruling, the VRT concluded:

�(20) The bottom line is this:

�(i) Mr Alexander is a licensed person bound by the Rules of Racing

�(ii) Mr Alexander administered or caused to be administered to a horse trained by him (Tom�s Knight) a product containing the potentially prohibited substance, cobalt.

�(iii) Not that it is necessarily an essential ingredient of the charge, Mr Alexander knew that the product contained cobalt.

�(iv) A post-race swab taken from Tom�s Knight revealed the presence of cobalt at a prohibited level.

�(v) Mr Alexander�s mistaken belief that the amount of cobalt in the product which he administered would not result in a reading at a prohibited level is a matter which is relevant only in relation to penalty.

�Conclusion: On the basis of the agreed facts for the purposes of this Ruling, Mr Alexander has breached AR245 (1).�

Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing

What happened to Coolmore-owned filly Gamay?

Studbook says she's brown bread @ 20/11.... I see she pulled up lame near foreleg on 14/10 but that's a fairly rapid decline.

Nice.

All good mutts deserve a steak.

reductio ad absurdum

European Group 1 winner Nancho has joined Archie Alexander.

The 2019 Hungarian Horse of the Year was formerly prepared by Anthony Cummings but has struggled to acclimatise in Australia since arriving in June 2020.

Nancho had one Randwick barrier trial two months later and then sustained a minor soft-tissue injury. Cummings believed 'the paddock would be Nancho's best friend' and managing owner Steve Grant gave the import time to adapt at his broodmare and spelling farm Silverdale in New South Wales' Southern Highlands.

The German-bred galloper had four trials last year ahead of his only Australian start, when he beat only one horse home in the $250,000 G2 Heineken Chelmsford Stakes (1600m) won by Think It Over at Randwick last September.

"Mentally, he just didn't adjust at Randwick I'm told," Alexander told Racing.com. "In Hungary he was trained on a farm, which I'm guessing is pretty different to anything he would see in Australia.

"The owners picked us as they thought he would be a good horse to try something different with a country environment here at Ballarat."Nancho has won 11 of 19 starts overall, including 10 of his final 11 starts in Hungary and Germany prior to arrival in Australia. His wins include the G1 Grosser Preis von Bayern (2400m) at Munich in November 2019, when Ashrun ran third.

Ashrun was subsequently purchased by Australian Bloodstock and won the 2020 G3 Lexus Stakes (2500m) before finishing 10th to Twilight Payment in the $8 million Melbourne Cup (3200m) a few days later.

"Of course, we don't know what level he could measure up to here but he's beaten a horse that has run in the Melbourne Cup so you know, he could be a horse for our country cups or the lower tiers of Stakes grade," Alexander said.

Nancho isn't the only former Hungary-trained galloper to make its way to Australia in recent times, as Esti Feny won the 2018 Hungarian Derby before going on to join Matthew Smith's stable.

Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing

Alexander fined over cobalt

Archie Alexander said he is relieved to have put a long-running cobalt saga behind him after the Ballarat-based horseman was fined $3000 and handed a six-week suspended ban by the Victorian Racing Tribunal.

"I think really the main thing is that we are very happy to put it behind us," Alexander said on Tuesday.

"We haven't done anything wrong. We always said we were innocent and it's nice that it's behind us. We can finally move on."

The decision announced on Tuesday relates to a charge of administering cobalt to Tom's Knight, who tested over the threshold after his Kilmore maiden win in November 2018.

The trainer was fined $3000 but the VRT fully suspended a six-week ban for 24 months.

In the VRT's decision, it described Alexander's culpability in the episode as being 'at the low end of the range for AR 245 (1)' as the trainer made numerous inquiries to ensure a product he was using did not contain excessive cobalt.

The VRT set out the reasons for its decision on penalty: "In setting a penalty in this matter, we take into account the good character of Mr Alexander, as attested to by character witnesses.

"We also take into account the considerable delay in the filing of the charges and the effect that this had on Mr Alexander's business by reason of loss of some clientele.

"In all the circumstances, we impose a penalty of six weeks suspension on Mr Alexander, fully suspended for a period of 24 months, on the condition that he not breach any provision of the Rules of Racing dealing with prohibited substances in that period.

"In addition, we impose a fine of $3000. Furthermore, Tom's Knight is disqualified from Race 3 at Kilmore on 2 November, 2018 and the placings are adjusted accordingly."

Alexander said he is pleased the long saga has not overly affected his training business.

"We are very grateful to every owner," he said. "We haven't had one owner question us or one owner take a horse off us.

"Everyone has been very loyal, but the only thing is, three years with this over your head is a lot of stress.

"I know there are horses with other trainers that would have been with us but they (owners) have been worried about the outcome of what may happen with this and because they were worried about it, they didn't send us the horse."

Wisdom has been chasing me but I've always outrun it!

Alexander suspects contamination with positive

Trainer Archie Alexander suspects a case of cross contamination after his horse Sylvan Sisterhood returned a positive swab.

Stewards are investigating the positive post-race sample which came after the mare won her maiden at Pakenham on October 16.

RASL reported that it had detected Naproxen in the blood sample which is a prohibited substance on raceday in accordance with the Australian Rules of Racing.

The Australian Racing Forensic Laboratory (ARFL) also reported that it had detected Naproxen within the reserve portion of the blood sample.

Naproxen is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent, and has analgesic (pain relieving), anti-inflammatory and fever suppression properties.

Alexander told Racing.com that initial investigations from the stable revealed the likely contamination came from a staff member taking medication for joint and muscle issues and then dealing with Sylvan Sisterhood.

An RV stewards report read: “While there are no formulations registered for veterinary use in Australia, it is commonly used in humans in the management of rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and other conditions causing mild to moderate pain.

“NSAIDs are prohibited when detected in a sample taken from a horse at a race meeting or trial (including an official trial or a jump-out for the purpose of obtaining a permit to start in a race).”

Alexander was informed of the positive on November 16 and was told earlier this week of the confirmatory findings.

Wisdom has been chasing me but I've always outrun it!