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Letter of the Week

Hardly innocuous

In the Herald Sun of January 20, Matt Stewart writes: “… regardless of how innocuous cobalt is regarded now, these trainers were sentenced on what they thought it may have been doing when they used it …”
I don’t think “innocuous” is the word Stewart should have used, as his general thrust is that the cobalt in these horses’ systems didn’t make them run any faster.
“Ineffectual” would have been closer to the mark. “Innocuous” means harmless, and as I understand it the studies are practically unanimous in their findings that cobalt in large quantities is harmful to horses.
This fact alone justifies to some extent the draconian penalties handed down, though I am in accord with Stewart in being troubled by mandatory minimum three-year bans for exceeding the threshold, no matter the circumstances that led to the readings.
“Mandatory minimum sentencing” in the criminal realm usually proves popular among politicians and voters, but tends to be less well regarded by those with more of an idea.

Dale Scott
Cremorne (Vic)
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Friday 29 March
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