New Victorian facility bolsters war against cobalt

Victoria's Racing Minister Martin Pakula has joined the fight against cobalt by creating a new-state-of-the-art facility to test for the outlawed substance.

In the past 18 months, the racing industry has been continually rocked by horses with high-profile trainers testing positive to cobalt.

Pakula, who is also the Attorney General, will officially open a $350,000 cobalt testing laboratory, funded with a $200,000 investment from the Andrews Labor government.

All three codes (racing, harness racing and greyhound racing) have been battling the cobalt positives. Cobalt is a metal that improves performance by increasing the number of red blood cells, allowing horses to carry more oxygen.

It will be the first laboratory in Victoria that has the capacity to test for cobalt, with samples previously being sent interstate or overseas.

"This dedicated cobalt testing facility demonstrates the Andrews Labor government's commitment to upholding the highest standard of integrity in our racing industry," Pakula said.

"Victoria has the capacity to test all racing samples for cobalt in-house, making us a global leader in the fight against performance enhancing substances."

The minister believes the establishment of a laboratory with the specific ability to test for cobalt will make for faster determination times and greater certainty for punters and participants that any anomalies will be detected and acted upon.

Pakula said the state government was committed to ensuring integrity was at the forefront across the three codes.

Racing Analytical Services Ltd laboratory director David Batty believes the move will be greatly beneficial for the state.

"The introduction of ICP-MS technology to Racing Analytical Services Ltd has been made possible due to a collaborative fund agreement between the Victorian racing industry, RASL and the Victorian government," he said.

"All blood and urine samples submitted for analysis by the three racing codes will now be screened for a range of inorganic metals, including cobalt. Due to this initiative, the integrity of Victorian racing will be further enhanced."

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