Victoria's first cobalt racing case

GUILTY VERDICT IN VICTORIA'S FIRST THOROUGHBRED COBALT CASE

TRAINERS LEE AND SHANNON HOPE

* Father and son training partnership for five years

* Lee Hope, 64, has had training licence for 49 years

* Shannon Hope licensed for 25 years

* Neither previously charged with or found guilty of breaching racing rules

* Stables at Kilmore (Lee's residence) and Seymour (Shannon's residence)

THE COBALT RULES

* Cobalt is a prohibited substance in Victoria if concentration exceeds 200 micrograms per litre in urine

* Rule effective April 2014

* 100 micrograms per litre threshold in many overseas racing jurisdictions

THE HORSES AND THEIR ELEVATED COBALT READINGS

* Windy Citi Bear (290 micrograms) - fifth in Geelong race, June 2014

* Best Suggestion (510 micrograms) - eighth in Caulfield race, July 2014

* Choose (450 micrograms) - fifth in Caulfield race, September 2014

GUILTY VERDICT

* Hopes pleaded guilty to inadvertently or unintentionally administering, or causing to be administered, a prohibited substance

* Found guilty of more serious charge that they administered prohibited substance to affect horses' performance in a race

PENALTY

* To be handed down early next week

* Minimum three-year disqualification

* Racing Appeals and Disciplinary Board can take into account special circumstances

TEST CASE

* Hopes' first cobalt case heard in Victorian thoroughbred racing

* Viewed as test case on whether declared cobalt raceday threshold was enforceable

* Racing Victoria holds $50,000 in escrow from Hopes' trainers' share of prize money during case

* Trainers Danny O'Brien and Mark Kavanagh face RAD Board November 30

* Trainer Peter Moody case due December 14.