RV Stewards' Reports - Michael Templeton and Shea Eden

Racing Victoria Staff

Sep 18, 2026
Stewards' Report - Michael Templeton

Racing Victoria (RV) Stewards, subsequent to their investigation, have issued two charges against licensed trainer, Mr Michael Templeton, as the trainer of Captains Choice (the Horse).

Mr Templeton has been charged with breaching Australian Rule (AR) 245(1) and 240(2) (in the alternative), which relevantly state the following:

AR 245 Administration of prohibited substance in sample taken from horse before/after running in race
…
(1) A person must not:
(a) administer; or
(b) cause to be administered, 

a prohibited substance on Prohibited List A and/or Prohibited List B to a horse which is detected in a sample taken from the horse prior to or following the running of a race.

AR 240 Prohibited substance in sample taken from horse at race meeting
…
(2) Subject to subrule (3), if a horse is brought to a racecourse for the purpose of participating in a race and a prohibited substance on Prohibited List A and/or Prohibited List B is detected in a sample taken from the horse prior to or following its running in any race, the trainer and any other person who was in charge of the horse at any relevant time breaches these Australian Rules.

The particulars of the charges are as follows:

  • On 21 December 2025, the Horse was brought to the Sale racecourse to participate in Race 8, the Ladbrokes Popular SRM BM62 Handicap, over 1732 metres (the Race). The race meeting was ultimately abandoned after Race 5 in circumstances where the Stewards deemed the track to be unsafe.
  • On 21 December 2025, a pre-race urine sample was taken from the Horse (the Sample).
  • An analysis of the Sample detected the presence of Cobalt.
  • Prior to the Race, Mr Templeton administered or caused to be administered Cobalt to the Horse.

The presence of Cobalt was detected in the Sample by Racing Analytical Services Limited and the Racing Chemistry Laboratory. Cobalt is a prohibited substance, in accordance with the Rules of Racing, at a concentration in excess of 100 micrograms per litre in urine.

The charges issued against Mr Templeton will be heard before the Victorian Racing Tribunal on a date to be fixed.

Stewards' Report - Shea Eden

Racing Victoria (RV) Stewards, subsequent to their investigation, have issued two charges against licensed trainer, Mr Shea Eden, as the trainer of Grinzinger Earl (the Horse).   

Mr Eden has been charged with breaching Australian Rule (AR) 245 and AR 240 (in the alternative), which relevantly state the following:

AR 245 Administration of prohibited substance in sample taken from horse before/after running in race

(1) A person must not:
(a) administer; or
(b) cause to be administered,

a prohibited substance on Prohibited List A and/or Prohibited List B to a horse which is detected in a sample taken from the horse prior to or following the running of a race.

AR 240 Prohibited substance in sample taken from horse at race meeting
…
(2) Subject to subrule (3), if a horse is brought to a racecourse for the purpose of participating in a race and a prohibited substance on Prohibited List A and/or Prohibited List B is detected in a sample taken from the horse prior to or following its running in any race, the trainer and any other person who was in charge of the horse at any relevant time breaches these Australian Rules.

The particulars of the charges are summarised as follows:

  • On 13 August 2025, the Horse was brought to the Sandown racecourse and ran in Race 6, the Tile Importer Handicap BM64, over 1600 metres (the Race), finishing fourth.
  • Prior to the race, a blood sample was taken from the Horse (the Sample).
  • An analysis of the Sample detected total carbon dioxide (TCO2) at a concentration in excess of 36.0 millimoles per litre in plasma.
  • Alkalinising agents, as evidenced by a TCO2 concentration in excess of 36.0 millimoles per litre in plasma, are prohibited substances in accordance with the Rules of Racing.
  • Prior to the Race, Mr Eden administered or caused to be administered to the Horse a prohibited substance, being an alkalinising agent.

RV Stewards initially informed Mr Eden of the Racing Analytical Services Limited findings on 18 August 2025 and he was further advised of the confirmatory findings by the Australian Racing Forensic Laboratory on 23 August 2025.

The charges issued against Mr Eden will be heard before the Victorian Racing Tribunal on a date to be fixed.

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