Lamings face charges over positive EPO tests

Sydney Morning Herald

Saturday November 21, 2009

Craig Young

THOROUGHBRED racing's first EPO charges have been laid. Racing Victoria stewards yesterday asked trainer Bevan Laming and son Richard to answer charges regarding the banned substance being found in two of their horses following out-of-competition testing.The Lamings' gallopers Benelli and War Dancer tested posted to a synthetic form of erythropoietin (EPO). Benelli was tested on June 11 and July 2, while War Dancer was tested on June 11. No date has been set for a hearing before the Victorian Racing Appeals and Disciplinary Board.SPRING SPLURGEPunters splurged $1.57 billion on the NSW and Victorian TABs over the 50 official days of the spring carnival. The big improver was NSW. From September 30 until November 18, punters wagered $839.59 million on the NSW TAB, up 6.3 per cent on last year. Down south, turnover reached $739.25m, up 0.6 per cent.TAB Fixed Odds turnover reached $45.33m (up 178.2 per cent) in Victoria where promos ran telling the punter the TAB was "now a bookie, too".In NSW, Fixed Odds betting had turnover of $8.85m, up 22.7 per cent.Speaking of fixed-odds betting, in NSW, punters, on the phone or internet, will now be permitted to bet up until the jump. It is on trial for a month.BLASTED OUTAustralia's Royal Ascot hero Scenic Blast has been scratched from tomorrow's International Sprint Trial in Hong Kong. Trainer Danny Morton withdrew the Global Sprint Challenge leader shortly after accepting on Thursday. On cooling down after trackwork, Scenic Blast, which won the King's Stand Stakes in June, was found to be lame in front.Morton has three weeks to get Scenic Blast right for the International Sprint, which will also include Australian galloper All Silent. "Scenic Blast will have to pass an official vet test before he races again," Mark Player, the Hong Kong Jockey Club's head of international races, said. "The gallop will be in front of the club's veterinary surgeons, and must be done before December 8."POT OF GOLDIf betting is any indication, today's group 1 Railway Stakes at Ascot is as good as over. The money has arrived for Mark Riley-trained Gold Salute, which has champion jockey and WA native Damien Oliver in the saddle. Punters kicked off with TAB Sportsbet on Thursday, with $40,000 invested on Gold Salute and its price slashed to $3. At Sportingbet, Gold Salute was backed from $4.20 to $3.20."The move started with a bet of $25,000 each-way at $4.20 yesterday afternoon, and since then punters have just kept loading up into him," Sportingbet supremo Michael Sullivan said yesterday.Centrebet's spruiker Neil Evans said: "I'm a big fan of the horse, but I fear he's now going around way under the odds."CHOICE RIDESPeter Robl has a full book of rides at Rosehill today. The boy from Benalla is keen to again team up with the Barbara Joseph-trained Logan's Choice, which runs in the Turner Freeman Handicap."It was a very impressive win last start at Randwick," Robl said.Robl will link up with trainer Jason Coyle again. When Coyle was head trainer for Patinack Farm, Coyle and Robl combined to win group 1 races earlier this year with Onemorenomore (Champagne Stakes) and Linky Dink (TJ Smith Stakes). Today Coyle will leg Robl on to Subtle Cove for the Green Lips Media Handicap, with the mare returning from a Melbourne campaign."She has been racing terrific in group company, and goes into a Saturday welter with 53 kilograms on its back. It won't know itself," Robl said. "If you had a stable full of horses like her, you'd be eating out every night."BIG PROSPECTJohn Singleton is keen to look at US stallion Big Brown, which won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. Big Brown is the only Triple Crown contender to finish last in the Belmont Stakes, which he went into with a hoof injury.