Tuesday's Meetings Newcastle A/W 7 Races 1:50-4:52p.m. Market Rasen N/H 7 Races 2:05-5:15p.m. Southwell(E) A/W 9 Races 4:30-8:30p.m. Racecards At The Races Sporting Life Racing Post Good Luck
Fergal O'Brien's Sixmilebridge has failed a dope test and will be disqualified from the Grade 2 win on trials day at Cheltenham. Will be OK to run next week apparently.
Just read the article on ATR site. There seems to be a much more laid back approach among trainers to positive drug tests than in other sports. O’Brien reckons the drug wasn’t secreted quickly enough and the yard are devastated. It’s still cheating.
The worst thing is how widespread it is. Punters and the public have no idea how many jabs are done, to which horses and more importantly why.
If it is a banned substance then it just shouldn't be used to treat whatever ailment is at play. It is rife though, that's for sure. I was fancying Sixmile next week too but not so much now.
Agree that most owners do not know what the yard is doing with their horses. Some even mask injury which I have 1st hand knowledge of, not NH but a flat trainer. My issue with FOB and SMB is that he ran on 2nd Jan and the race in question was 23 days later. The substance was to be secreted within 21 days, so why the need to jab a horse 2 days after he won a race very comfortably. Interesting that race 3 weeks later was against the UK's best 2m4 horse at the time. SMB went from a Class4 to a Grade 2 and won by half the track. The whole situation stinks. As an aside, FOB has a bumper horse for the Megsons on the Wednesday. Woods is gushing about it on the preview circuit saying a place guaranteed, but FOB has not said a word. Wise man.
Same connections have had one turned over at Catterick today at odds of 1/16! Fell at final fence. Tough week.
