Racing Victoria stewards have asked the Racing Appeals and Disciplinary (RAD) Board to ban trainer Richard Laming for five years.The board heard a stewards' submission on Wednesday after Laming pleaded guilty to a prohibited substance, darbepoetin alfa (human erythropoietin, EPO), being detected in out-of-competition blood samples in two of his horses.EPO was detected in Benelli and War Dancer on June 11, 2009 and in Benelli again on July 2.Paul Holdenson, QC, for the stewards said that the use

Racing Victoria stewards have asked the Racing Appeals and Disciplinary (RAD) Board to ban trainer Richard Laming for five years.

The board heard a stewards' submission on Wednesday after Laming pleaded guilty to a prohibited substance, darbepoetin alfa (human erythropoietin, EPO), being detected in out-of-competition blood samples in two of his horses.

EPO was detected in Benelli and War Dancer on June 11, 2009 and in Benelli again on July 2.

Paul Holdenson, QC, for the stewards said that the use of EPO was a form of cheating and that its use had the potential to undermine public confidence in the integrity of Victorian thoroughbred racing.

He said that Benelli earned more than $120,000 for a win at Sandown on June 13 last year, a second in a Winter Championship heat at Flemington on July 4 and a win at Caulfield on July 18.

War Dancer earned more than $8000 for his third in the Australian Steeplechase at Sandown on June 13 last year.

Holdenson said that under the rules of racing EPO was bracketed with such drugs as cocaine, LSD and methylamphetamine prohibited by criminal legislation.

He said that the use of the drug potentially could lead to a horse's death during a race and endanger the life of his jockey and other riders.

Holdenson used Canadian precedents of cases where EPO offenders had been banned for 10 years and fined as much as $30,000.

He also used Australian harness racing examples where bans of up to four years had been imposed, post-appeal.

Holdenson criticised the delay in getting the case heard because of the conduct of the Lamings' defence, describing it as "the most substantial and prolonged attack or challenge" ever to scientific and expert evidence gathered by stewards in Victoria.

"The very manner in which it has been mounted can only be described as offensive and intemperate," Holdenson said.

The case changed course again on Tuesday when Richard Laming amended his plea to guilty on a revised set of charges which involved the withdrawal of the three most serious charges of administration of EPO.

Bevan Laming was also dropped from all charges, except two.

Richard Laming pleaded guilty to three EPO detection charges and two other charges relating to the location of 10ml bottles of triamolone forte and a 20ml bottle of aminocaproic acid during an inspection of his Clyde stable.

Neither substance found in the stable had been labelled, prescribed or obtained in compliance with relevant state or Commonwealth legislation.

Both Lamings pleaded guilty to two charges relating to the location at their Clyde stables of two 10ml bottles of testoprop and four boxes each containing five 1ml vials of adrenaline.

Holdenson asked for fines of between $500 and $2000 on those charges to be added to a five-year disqualification but Dr Cliff Pannam, QC, for the Lamings, asked for fines up to $500 and a six-month suspension for Richard Laming.

Pannam conceded EPO had no place in racing but questioned its affects and whether it improved a racehorse's performance.

He said Richard Laming was "mystified" by the EPO detections and also argued that the Lamings' defence was appropriate.

Pannam said that after balancing the advice of his own experts and those of RVL, Richard Laming changed his plea and accepted responsibility, conceding there was lack of proper and appropriate stable supervision.

The RAD Board will deliver its penalties at 11am on Thursday.