Qld country trainer out on cobalt charge

Queensland country trainer Gilbert Baker has been disqualified on a cobalt charge.

A pre-race urine sample taken from the Gilbert Baker-trained Beautiful Love at Nanango, in the Burnett region, on September 16 showed the presence of cobalt in excess of the allowable threshold.

A further test on the reserve portion of the sample confirmed the finding.

Baker pleaded guilty to a charge of bringing a horse to race with a prohibited substance.

He was outed for 12 months and Beautiful Love was disqualified from his third placing.

Baker was the second country trainer disqualified on a cobalt charge in the past month with John Patterson outed on charges from meetings at Roma last year.