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Godolphin doping scandal


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Breaking news..............could be a biggie ! Al Zarooni has admitted administering banned substances to his horses...... 11 horses have been found to have banned substances including Certify, one of the faves for the 1000 Gns this could be a major story..................

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Alzarooni caught Out Just seen the headline on the racingpost website that zaronni has been caught with horses testing positive for two types of steroids.... One of the horses concerned is certify who was fancied for the 1000 guineas. Certify along with others have now been banned from racing for the forceible future!!! not sure how it will work ante post though!!!!

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Re: Godolphin doping scandal

  • le-top.35.0.png 15496.jpg Mahmood Al Zarooni: "I have made a catastrophic error" PICTURE: Edward Whitaker Al Zarooni faces loss of licence after positive tests on 11 horses BY TONY SMURTHWAITE6:33PM 22 APR 2013 GODOLPHIN trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni faces the loss of his licence after admitting being in breach of the rules of racing following the discovery of anabolic steroids in samples taken from a number of his horses including top-class filly Certify. The unbeaten Group 1 winner will not now be allowed to run in the Qipco 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket on May 5 for which she was a 7-1 fourth favourite. "This is a dark day for Godolphin," said racing manager Simon Crisford. Following an inspection of Al Zarooni's stables at Moulton Paddocks in Newmarket by officials from the BHA, traces of prohibited substances were discovered in a number of the horses tested, including Certify. Al Zarooni, winner of the world's richest race thanks to Monterosso's 2012 Dubai World Cup victory, has admitted that he was responsible for the administration of the prohibited substances. Crisford said: "We are all shocked by what has happened. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed was absolutely appalled when he was told and this is completely unacceptable to him." Godolphin said it would will await the outcome of the BHA inquiry before taking any further internal action. "Sheikh Mohammed has instructed me to begin an urgent review of all of our procedures and controls," added Crisford. "That is already underway and we will take advice from the BHA in completing it." In a statement, Al Zarooni said: "I deeply regret what has happened. I have made a catastrophic error. Because the horses involved were not racing at the time, I did not realise that what I was doing was in breach of the rules of racing. I can only apologise for the damage this will cause to Godolphin and to racing generally." A BHA statement revealed that a total of 11 horses including Certify have been suspended from running as the result of a 'testing in training' sampling programme conducted. A total of 45 horses were tested on April 9 during a random visit that the BHA said arose from two positive tests on Al Zarooni horses in the previous 12 months. It was only on Monday that the BHA received written advice from the Horseracing Forensic Laboratory that, upon analysis, 11 samples had present in them one of two prohibited substances, ethylestranol and stanozolol. Desert Blossom, Certify, Fair Hill, Ghostflower, Orkney Island, Sweet Rose and Valley Of Queens tested positive for ethylestranol and Artigiano, Bathrat Amal, Opinion Poll and Restraint Of Trade tested positive for stanozolol. Adam Brickell, director of integrity, legal and risk for the BHA, said: "Ethylestranol and stanozolol are anabolic steroids and therefore prohibited substances under British rules of racing, at any time - either in training or racing. Mahmood Al Zarooni has been advised of the analysts' findings and has been visited by an investigating officer. "A disciplinary panel enquiry into the analysts' findings will take place at the first available opportunity, confirmed details of which will follow when available. The horses which have produced positive tests will also not be permitted to race with immediate effect and for an extended period of time. As part of the ongoing process a decision will be made as to what period this suspension will be imposed for. "The BHA understand the importance of this process being carried out as quickly as possible because of implications for betting markets.” Trainer Howard Johnson received a one-year ban for administering anabolic steroids to horses in training, an action that the BHA disciplinary panel concluded "seriously prejudiced the integrity and good reputation of horseracing in Great Britain". Al Zarooni's career with Godolphin has been a significant success, bringing wins in the 1,000 Guineas, Irish Oaks, St Leger and at Royal Ascot in addition to Monterosso's World Cup triumph. He was approached by Sheikh Mohammed having impressed as assistant to UAE champion Ali Rashid Al Raihe and subsequently to Mubarak bin Shafya, having first worked among Arab horses with Rod Simpon.

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Re: Godolphin doping scandal More news on the racing sites now........ Two different steroids were found.The horses concerned............. Desert Blossom, Certify, Fair Hill, Ghostflower, Orkney Island, Sweet Rose and Valley Of Queens tested positive for ethylestranol and Artigiano, Bathrat Amal, Opinion Poll and Restraint Of Trade tested positive for stanozolol. the best known are Certify and Opinion Poll, a group two winning stayer none of the horses will be allowed to run for an extended period of time, to be determined by a disciplinary panel Certify is definitely out of the Gns

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Re: Godolphin doping scandal There has always been doping and always will be - either stopping a horse or boosting performance Only the methods have changed over the years and been harder to detect - look at Armstrong and how he avoided detection for over a decade I see the bookies have used the opportunity to create a publicity stunt - Ladbrokes will get their £200k back in about 10 minutes:D

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Shocking story but drug use in different countries is a lot more lax than the UK. Don't Godolphin send their horses back to Dubai for the winter? If that's the case and the steroids were administered there, it gives a different slant to all of this. Sent from my GT-I9100 using PL Forum

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Re: Godolphin doping scandal

How the FECK can a trainer say he thought this was ok because the horses in question were not running ?????? Come On !!!!!!! So he then thinks its only wrong doping a horse on race day, can a trainer be that STUPID ?
This was, Zarooni says, the result of a "catastrophic error" on his part, since "because the horses involved were not racing at the time, I did not realise that what I was doing was in breach of the rules of racing." Surely any trainer SHOULD know the rules of racing.
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Re: Godolphin doping scandal

Shocking story but drug use in different countries is a lot more lax than the UK. Don't Godolphin send their horses back to Dubai for the winter? If that's the case and the steroids were administered there, it gives a different slant to all of this. Sent from my GT-I9100 using PL Forum
Dont quote but I am led to believe Dubai has a very similar stance on drugs as the BHA. Not knowing much about the drugs involved are these the sort of drugs that are allowed in certain countries ie USA (I know they allow lasix? to stop bleeding but what else??) This could have a massive impact on the next few years and the involvement of the arabs in british racing which could cause some serious damage were they to pull out!
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Re: Godolphin doping scandal Possible interesting twist with this too. In other sports if found to be doping they have their wins rescinded and awarded to the runner up. That could mean we have a triple crown winner in Camelot as Encke won the St Leger and could have been doped up to the eyeballs but not sure if they can back test. Sheik Mohammed has ordered tests on every horse there, inclusing Encke. This isn't lasix, it's anabolic steroids and boosts testosterone, similar to the stuff bodybuilders use. I understand Godolphin have their own vet so he might take the fall along with Al Zarooni. Unsure if the arabs would have known what dodgy stuff was going on, maybe the trainers were under pressure to deliver after several years of failure in the top races. Howard Johnson got a 1 year ban, I think Al Zarooni might end up dead in a desert.

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Re: Godolphin doping scandal

This was, Zarooni says, the result of a "catastrophic error" on his part, since "because the horses involved were not racing at the time, I did not realise that what I was doing was in breach of the rules of racing." Surely any trainer SHOULD know the rules of racing.
The rules on racing and doping must be pretty much the same as drinking alcohol and NOT DRIVING !
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Re: Godolphin doping scandal I'm relatively new to the sport and tbh can't believe Al Zarooni didn't know what he was doing. Surely its like Alex Ferguson doping the Man U players during the week but not on a Saturday or during the off season. But that's just my simplistic understanding.

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Re: Godolphin doping scandal My take on this is Zarooni knew exactly what he was doing. I believe sheik Mo knows exactly what was going on as well. Much better to be caught out with a new inexperienced trainer rather than Saeed Bin Suroor who has been there years. This would have been an even bigger scandal had it been his other trainer that got caught out. Godolphin have spent several years playing catch up so maybe sheik mo got sick of playing second fiddle to the likes of O'Brien. I very much doubt he is the only trainer at it.

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Re: Godolphin doping scandal Personally I doubt that Shiek Mo would knowingly accept his trainers using doping for a simple reason............ He wants to find out which his best horses are so he can breed from them Would he send his valuble breeding mares to a stallion who might have been a useless racehorse but won a the Derby fuelled on steroids ?

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Re: Godolphin doping scandal

8 years seems harsh. Love how they give out long bans for this but turn a blind eye to blatent non triers and horses with 8 duck eggs to their name suddenly winning being backed from all prices.
you cant compare the 2 to be honest can you Only 1 horse can finish the race in front so there will always be duckeggs Al Zarooni deserves the ban, no mucking about, the authorities have acted quickly in the name of the sport
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Re: Godolphin doping scandal Should have been banned for life. He has brought racing into disrepute and cost me a small fortune (Camelot St Leger). And on another note.... I gave up going racing the last year Fallon rode for O'Brien. It was the year that he faced a lengthly ban for cocaine in France and the taped interview he gave to a reporter regarding one of his mounts. Anyway, he stopped more horses that year riding for O' Brien that I had to stop. He too should have been banned for life IMO. Things have settled again now but I'll never be a fan!!

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