Pateman Racing: Steven Pateman and Jessica Barton face suspension over prohibited substance

A former champion jockey turned horse trainer is facing suspension after a race day drug test found his horse had a prohibited substance in its system.

A tribunal has found a champion jockey turned horse trainer and his partner breached racing rules by administering a prohibited substance to their horse.

Steven Pateman and Jessica Barton were charged by Racing Victoria Ltd after a pre-racing urine test for Pateman’s horse Sir Walter Scott indicated an excessive amount of Cobalt in its system.

Sir Walter Scott had been scheduled to run in the Great Western Steeplechase in Coleraine on September 24, 2017, when the cobalt detection was identified.

Analysis indicated the presence of approximately 1200µg per litre – 12 times the allowed limit of 100µg per litre.

Some trainers administer cobalt in the belief it is potentially performance enhancing.

Jockey and horse trainer Steven Pateman. Picture: Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images

The incident occurred less than a year after Pateman made the jump from jockey to horse trainer after a 21 year career as a jumps jockey.

Barton, the spouse of Pateman, was the stable manager for Pateman Racing which is based in Connewarre.

Pateman and Barton were each disqualified for three years by the Racing Appeal and Disciplinary Board of Racing Victoria Limited in 2020, however they filed an appeal in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal two months later.

The conviction and suspension was stayed, allowing the pair to continue operating Pateman Racing until the matter could be heard.

A VCAT hearing took place over four days in May and June this year, with member Reynah Tang AM handing down his decision on Thursday.

Representing Pateman and Barton, counsel Jim Stavris sought to convince Mr Tang there was a possibility the urine sample had become contaminated.

Alternatively, counsel Albert Dinelli for Racing Victoria Ltd argued the only plausible conclusion of the test was administered the same day as the race with the “purpose of affecting the performance or behaviour of Sir Walter Scott”.

In his decision, Mr Tang found there was insufficient evidence to cast doubt on the integrity of the sample collected.

“I am comfortably satisfied and find that Ms Barton administered, and Mr Pateman caused the administration of, the Standard Treatment – a substance which contained cobalt – on Race Day,” he wrote.

He found it was likely Barton had forgotten to administer the treatment two days earlier as she usually did because the horse had been moved to Coleraine for the race.

The Tribunal found both Pateman and Barton had been responsible for Sir Walter Scott receiving the Cobalt injection, but found there was insufficient evidence to suggest the substance had been administered to affect race performance.

Pateman and Barton will return before the Tribunal at a later date where a penalty for the breach will be decided.