Lee and Shannon Hope face cobalt hearings

Father and son horse trainers Lee and Shannon Hope will face a Racing Appeals and Disciplinary Board hearing after three of their horses returned elevated cobalt samples.

The duo is facing nine doping charges at a hearing in Melbourne on Wednesday, after three of their horses returned cobalt levels above the threshold of 200 micrograms per litre of urine.

While cobalt is naturally occurring in horses, increased levels are believed to boost the numbers of red blood cells allowing oxygen to be carried through the body more easily.

It can also have fatal effects.

Trainers Danny O'Brien and Mark Kavanagh are due to front the RAD Board to have their elevated cobalt charges heard next month, with Peter Moody's hearing in December.