Pateman, wife in three-year cobalt bans

Zed Em steps out at Oakbank on Wednesday. Photo: Pat Scala/Racing Photos

Champion jumps jockey Steven Pateman and his wife have been disqualified for three years on a cobalt charge.

A dual licence holder, Pateman and Jessica Barton were on Thursday handed their penalties by the Racing Appeals and Disciplinary Board after being found guilty of a race-day administration charge in March.

They were charged after the Pateman-trained Sir Walter Scott returned a high cobalt reading in a pre-race urine sample at Coleraine in September, 2017.

The penalty carries a minimum three-year term unless special circumstances could be proven.

Pateman was the regular ridder of the Patrick Payne-trained Zed Em and the combination won the 2019 Grand Annual Steeplechase (5500m), Great Eastern Steeplechase (4950m) and Von Doussa Steeple (3250m).