Perth trots trainer Kevin Nolan cops five-year disqualification after sixth prohibited substance offence

Perth trots trainer Kevin Nolan has copped a five-year disqualification after his sixth prohibited substance offence when Gloucester Park winner Maddy Rocks tested positive to illegal drugs. It is one of the most severe bans imposed in Australia’s thoroughbred and pacing industries this century under stipendiary stewards’ strict national racing rules enforcement. Nolan, 74, who has more than 200 career wins, was hit with instant world-wide expulsion from racecourses for five seasons. Potential performance-enhancing substances cobalt and trendline, a metabolite of androgenic anabolic steroid trenbolone, were detected in a post-race urine sample from Maddy Rocks after she was backed from $126 to $71 ahead of winning last March 22. When raiding Nolan’s stable, stewards found the illegal, injectable substance cobalt salts. Stewards announced penalties on Wednesday and ordered the Darling Downs-based trainer must be barred immediately. Maddy Rocks was stripped of prizemoney totalling $15,500 which she earned in the tainted victory. In a rare punishment, stewards banned Maddy Maddy from racing for any trainer over the next 12 months and ordered she could not be bred from at stud for a year. Anabolic steroids in her post-race sample were potent and long-lasting. A foal bred from her in 2025 could be adversely affected by the race stimulant dose. Maddy Maddy must not resume racing, or begin breeding, until tests find she is steroid-free, Stipes confirmed Maddy Maddy returned positives to cobalt and trendione after the Gloucester Park win. Nolan, despite his serial drug cheat tag, hit back at authorities. Nolan claimed ingredients he bought, which led to Maddy Rock’s positives, were on the open market in harness racing circles. “I will consider hiring a lawyer and appealing against the penalties,” the embattled trainer said on Wednesday. “I purchased products for $600 off the shelf at a stock food business’s premises. “A lot of trainers will be sh.... themselves at the moment, after my mare’s positives. They’ll be waiting very anxiously for swab results. Other trainers must be buying the products, otherwise they wouldn’t be on stock food shop shelves.” Nolan also claimed some of drugs, which sparked Maddy Maddy’s illegal results, could be bought at Gloucester Park. “These products are on sale from trade suppliers at Perth pacing headquarters,” Nolan said. “If they’re being sold on course, authorities and officials need to clarify a current ridiculous situation on whether these drugs are legal or barred.” Garrards Horse and Hound, a national horse racing supplies company which runs a harness racing branch store at Gloucester Park, were contacted for comment. “I followed vet advice when treating Maddy Rocks,” Nolan said. “A vet, who works for Racing WA at official pacing barrier trials, advised me I could use the treatments, and said they would not result in positive swabs if I stopped administrations four days before races. “I ceased treatments on the Tuesday before Maddy Rocks won.” The mare, beaten at her previous 27 starts, was backed from $121 to $71 on TAB fixed odds betting in final minutes before her win. Driven by young reinswoman Emily Suvaljko, she charged from eighth position with 800m to run and stormed down the outside to grab a narrow victory. Pacers seldom win after being so far back in the last lap of a race. After the event, Nolan was promptly summoned to a stewards’ probe on Maddy Rock’s improvement. While the mare was still having samples taken by swabbing staff, Nolan told stewards: “She was suited by being driven further back in the field than recently. Tonight’s race tempo was also more to her liking.” Stewards did not hold back in Wednesday’s announcement on action against Nolan. “This is the trainer’s fifth and sixth offences under prohibited substance regulations,” Stipes said in their post-inquiry statement. “He breached prohibited substance rules in 1999, 2005, 2008 and 2013. Each of those offences involved elevated total carbon dioxide readings.” Total carbon dioxide reduces horses’ muscle fatigue in races, particularly over the relatively long distances tackled pacers. Listing a raft of charges and penalties, stewards said Nolan received a five-year disqualification for having presented Maddy Rocks to race, with cobalt in her system. A six-month disqualification was imposed for the trendline reading. A three-month disqualification was issued because stewards found injectable product, hemoplex, which contains cobalt salts, a prohibited substance under Racing Rules of Australia. He was fined $750 for not recording treatments on a stable log book, as required under rules. The six and three-month penalties are to be served concurrently with the five-year disqualificiation. Nolan is irate with Maddy Rock’s one-year racing and breeding ban. “With he mare not being able to race or breed, I may as well take her to Racing WA’s horse retirement farm,” Nolan said. “Racing WA can look after her for a year until she is cleared to race or breed a foal.” Stewards said lengthy bans were warranted because the pacing industry’s reputation and image was tarnished by prohibited drug rule breaches. The significant disqualifications were also designed to act as deterrents to potential offfenders. The Nolan probe capped a busy agenda for stewards, who have also announced leading Ascot trainer Dan Morton will face an inquiry after his Pinjarra winner Hanoi Miss tested positive to lignocaine. The inquiry is due to open on Monday. Jockey Brandon Louis has received a 10-day suspension for careless riding in last Sunday’s sixth Kalgoorlie race. He will resume race riding on August 8.