A Victorian horse trainer should have moved heaven and earth to find out why his horses had high levels of cobalt but didn't because he knew it was caused by doping, an inquiry has heard.
Father and son trainers Lee and Shannon Hope are fighting doping charges after three of their horses returned cobalt levels above the threshold of 200 micrograms per litre of urine.
The younger Mr Hope told a hearing on Tuesday he asked a vet to help him determine why two of his horses had returned elevated readings of cobalt in October last year.
"He said, 'Any wonder you have high cobalt, you have been feeding so many cobalt components'," the 39-year-old trainer told the Racing Appeals and Disciplinary Board.
"It was quite shattering to be honest."
Mr Hope and the vet then went about changing the feeding and supplements programs at the stables to eliminate anything that could contribute to high cobalt levels.
Counsel assisting Racing Victoria stewards Jeff Gleeson, QC, accused Mr Hope of lying about his efforts to uncover what happened.
"You have made it up this afternoon," he said.
"If you were as surprised as you claim, the first thing you would have done is set up a rigorous investigation."
But Mr Hope did not question a single member of his staff about how the cobalt may have gotten into the horses' systems, which suggests he already knew what happened, Mr Gleeson said.
"If you were truly bewildered you would have turned heaven and earth about what was potentially going to ruin your business," he said.
"If you were innocent you would have asked (questions)."
Mr Gleeson also told Mr Hope it was not too late to admit he had used cobalt on his horses.
"We're putting to you that your dad didn't know anything about this," he said.
"You made a human error. You succumbed to temptation."
Mr Hope denied any wrongdoing.
"My father brought me up to be honest and admit when I am wrong, and I have not done anything wrong," he said.
Earlier on Tuesday, Mr Hope senior told the hearing he had never heard of cobalt until he was notified of the elevated test results last year despite a crackdown on its use in the state's multi-million dollar racing industry.
The inquiry has been adjourned until November 4 after the Melbourne Cup.
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