THE toll of a lengthy judicial process has hit the horse racing industry hard as news broke of Peter Moody's retirement from training yesterday.

The champion Victorian trainer has retired and will not return to the track following his six-month suspension for Cobalt use. Horses began leaving his stables after the Rosehill races last Saturday. Moody initially insisted that he would continue to train after seeing out his suspension, but he has subsequently decided to end all ties with training.

In the wake of a potential review of the RAD decision and more lengthy court hearings, Moody has decided to save the industry more turmoil while ending one of the most successful careers in the history of racing in Australia.

The trainer of former champion sprinter Black Caviar had a passion for racing and his retirement will not only affect his 70-odd employees, which will now have to find work, but also his family and friends and the racing industry as a whole, which thrived on his personality.

The word around the track on Golden Slipper day was that fellow trainer and recent group one winner David Brideoake would take over his stables, but the sheer financial cost, which included paying staff entitlements, has proven too much for Moody.

Moody has been at war with chief steward Terry Bailey, who thinks Moody should have been handed down a much longer sentence for administering cobalt to Lidari in 2014.

Bailey confirmed that he is waiting the RAD board's reasons for Moody's penalty, but they may not be available until after Easter. The stewards also haven't ruled out appealing against the penalty.

“In Victoria our drug-related penalties are not in line with the rest of Australia,” Bailey said.

“If you take a line through Kevin Moses, who was found guilty of a lesser charge and disqualified for 12 months.

“Obviously the RAD board had reasons for the six-month suspension and we can't rule out appealing until we've seen those written decisions.

“Time will tell whether we go on with it or not.”

Moody had 300 horses to his name – two of which will be entered this Thursday night at Moonee Valley.

Last start group 1 winner Flamberge and talented three-year-old colt Kinglike will likely run in the $504,000 William Reid Stakes to hopefully give Moody a fitting send off.