LEADING Wodonga trainer Craig Widdison has been disqualified for two years by Victoria's Racing Tribunal.
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He fronted the VRT Board via video link-up to answer three charges relating to an elevated bicarb reading taken from Cash Crisis at Sandown in February last year.
His disqualification will begin next Thursday.
However Widdison is disallowed to have any runners over the next week.
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The most serious charge against Widdison was of administering, or causing to be administered, a prohibited substance to Cash Crisis for the purpose of affecting the performance or behaviour of the horse in the race.
A second charge of simply administering, or causing to be administered, a prohibited substance that produced a TCO2 level above the allowed 36 millimoles per litre in blood was also laid.
He was also charged with presenting Cash Crisis to race with a prohibited substance in his system.
Widdison pleaded guilty to the most serious charge while the other two were dropped.
Cash Crisis finished sixth in the $50,000 Benchmark 70 Hcp, (1300m) won by Brave Tango at Sandown Lakeside on February 6.
The six-year-old gelding was a $61-chance and was ridden by Chelsea MacFarlane.
Widdison is the second biggest trainer on the Border behind Mitch Beer.
The Wodonga horseman trains more than 40 horses.
Several of the Widdison-trained gallopers have already been sent to new trainers.
Dissedge and Molly Magic are set to race at Benalla on Friday for David O'Prey and Sylvia Thompson respectively.
After four years in a training partnership with Peter Morgan at Whittlesea, Widdison returned home to Wodonga at the start of 2017.
Previously he also spent time under disgraced trainer Robert Smerdon who was banned for life two years ago for the systematic doping of horses.
The young trainer quickly stamped himself as one of the leading horseman on the Border.
He won both the Albury and Wodonga Cups with stable star Willi Willi who was also a city winner.