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“You get a bit suspicious of your staff members, and you go through all your feed and that sort of stuff,” he said.

“But we are working quite closely with Racing Victoria, and they have been excellent. We are trying to work out where the contamination has come from.

“It has to be a contamination. I can’t think of anything else.”

Stewards took urine samples from Hard To Cross after it won 1600-metre races at Sandown on May 15 and May 25.

Tests found traces of formestane, which is a steroidal aromatase inhibitor, and its metabolite 4-Hydroxytestosterone, which is classified as an anabolic steroid and is a prohibited substance in racing.

Stewards told Payne of the first positive on June 25, and the second positive on July 5. Their investigation is continuing.

“You have got to feel for the owners,” Payne said. “It is a shock for them, and they are obviously disappointed.

“But the horse is a bit on the immature side, so I think he will still come back as a good race horse after a year.”

Formestane is not known to be contained in therapeutic medications registered for use in horses.