Racing Victoria Limited (RVL) stewards have announced that a pre-hearing conference will be held in relation to the charges issued against the training partnership of Bevan and Richard Laming.

The conference will be held on Monday to discuss “issues relating to evidence accumulated by both parties” and also to determine a date for the Racing Appeals and Disciplinary Board inquiry.

Monday’s pre-hearing conference is a private meeting and will be closed to the media.

The hearing comes just under a year since RVL stewards confirmed that blood samples taken from Benelli and War Dancer in the month of June and July were positive to the prohibited blood-boosting drug EPO.

Bevan & Richard Laming EPO Inquiry Timeline

June 11, 2009: Blood samples were taken from Benelli and War Dancer as part of the out-of-competition testing regime being conducted by RVL stewards in Victoria.

June 13: Benelli wins at Sandown Hillside.

July 2: Out-of-competition blood sample taken from Benelli.

July 4: Benelli finished second in the Listed Winter Championship Final.

July 18: Benelli wins at Caulfield over 1800m.

July 31: RVL Stewards raid the Lamings Fiveways property.

August 13: RVL confirm that blood samples taken from Benelli and War Dancer are definitely positive to the prohibited blood-boosting drug EPO.

August 15: Benelli is scratched by stewards from the JJ Liston Stakes.

October 1: Benelli and War Dancer banned from racing until January 17 after a drug surveillance laboratory located in the UK, HFL Sports Science, confirms those positive tests.

November 20: Ten charges are placed against Bevan & Richard Laming after stewards complete an investigation.

January 20, 2010: Stewards announce the provisional Racing Appeals and Disciplinary (RAD) Board hearing date of Monday, April 12 2010.

February 17: Benelli returns to racing, finishing sixth in the Listed Hareeba Stakes.

March 30: Racing Appeals and Disciplinary (RAD) Board announce that it had accepted an application from both counsel for the Lamings and counsel for Racing Victoria stewards to adjourn the hearing to a date to be fixed.

May 29: Dr Cornelius Uboh, an American doctor who specialises in identifying EPO in equine athletes, is to be used in Bevan and Richard Laming’s defence against three EPO-related charges as he would dispute the validity and accuracy of the testing methodology on the samples taken from Laming-trained horses Benelli and War Dancer.