WODONGA trainer Brian Cox has claimed he is the victim of a “set up” by disgruntled staff members on day two of the Racing Appeals and Disciplinary board hearing in Melbourne.
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Mr Cox used his stint as a witness on Tuesday to deny he used the banned substance Nitrotain, since it was put off-limits to trainers in 2014, and said allegations made against him during the case had driven him to the brink of quitting his 45-year involvement in racing.
Day two of the hearing was adjourned early when Mr Cox and legal counsel for Racing Victoria Jack Rush, QC, became bogged down in evidence relating to why the banned substance was found at the trainer’s stable complex.
Mr Cox admitted using Nitrotain before it was banned, but said he was “entitled to a kick up the you know where” for the substance still being on his premises when stewards carried out their raid in March.
Earlier in the day, former Cox Racing stablehand Anika Basiak said she had administered Nitrotain to two horses, Minnie Downs and Baby Jack, in August, 2015.
Mr Cox rejected the claims made by Ms Basiak and told the hearing she and another staff member, who hasn’t appeared before the hearing, had allegedly colluded with stewards.
The leading trainer also said photographs of racehorse Cochrane’s Gap’s injured leg shown at the hearing could have been distorted to make the wound look worse.
“I’ve felt like pulling the pin on the game due to some of the allegations made against me,” Mr Cox said.
He said he bought Nitrotain from Albury veterinarian Bob Fielding in 2014 before the ban and put it in another container after accidentally dropping the original tub on the tea room floor.
Mr Cox said he was aware of its pending ban and kept it in the tea room fridge.
A second tub of Nitrotain was sourced in August 2015 for use by Mr Cox’s brother, Nigel, on old horses at his property.
Nigel Cox had collected the tub in question himself from Hume Equine Centre.
“I knew it was a banned substance and couldn’t bring it onto licensed premises,” he said.
Mr Cox appeared before a stewards’ inquiry held in Wodonga chaired by Racing Victoria chief steward Terry Bailey in the weeks after the March raid on his brother's stables.
Under cross-examination from Mr Rush, Mr Cox was asked why he wouldn’t allow stewards to visit his property where he said Nitrotain was located.
“I was co-operating” he said.
“But in the aggressive manner I was being interviewed, I felt I was being intimidated.”
Mr Bailey has been present at the RAD board hearing.
Brian Cox said he was under pressure from Cochrane’s Gap’s owners, which led to him taking the horse to Wangaratta for a jumpout on December 9.
