And another one of Stoute's tests positive. Naughty, naughty boy! Might explain the improvement seen in a few of his! Telescope anyone, this needs looked into properly
From Racing Post: Morphine: the key questions answered BY TONY SMURTHWAITE & CHRIS HUMPLEBY 4:08PM 23 JUL 2014 The news that five racehorses, including the Queen's Estimate, have tested positive for morphine has turned into the biggest drugs story to hit racing since the Mahmood Al Zarooni doping scandal early last year. But just how serious is it all and what are the likely consequences? Here's what we know so far: Can morphine enhance a horse's performance? The authorities believe it can enhance raceday performance hence it is banned in raceday samples. A result of two micrograms per millilitre in urine is sufficient to produce a positive. Trainer James Given, also a qualified vet, says: "Morphine is an opiate analgesic used to mask pain. I've heard it described as the 'gold standard' of pain relief. It has a therapeutic purpose. "The levels found are likely to have been microscopic, to the extent where if you or I had it in our system we wouldn't know it was there. With some drugs the BHA operate threshold levels regarding acceptable quantities that can be traced in samples, but with morphine any trace is considered a breach of race-day rules." Do trainers use it on their horses? While not banned from use in training, there is little evidence of its use. Given says: "I haven't heard of anyone using it in this country, ever. I've never used it and I suspect trainers don't because there are other effective forms of pain relief." What caused the presence of morphine in these five post-race samples? Well-known feed company Dodson & Horrell has suggested contaminated Alfalfa Oil Plus - a chaff that provides slow release energy - was the culprit and, further to that, via poppy seeds that occur naturally in the environment. However, trainer Eve Johnson Houghton - who admitted on Wednesday her horse Charlie Wells had also tested positive - said although she uses Dodson & Horrell products, she has never fed her horses Alfalfa Oil Plus. Given says: "I suspect it has been an issue with contaminated feed. Poppies are grown for a pharmacological purpose, so it could have been spread through problems with transportation, or if harvesting and storage equipment hasn't been cleaned properly. "I suspect this isn't a common occurrence as I know feed companies operate stringent policies with their suppliers and insist that the equipment they use is properly treated." What happens to those horses who have tested positive? They can still run in races, and Estimate is expected to re-appear at Glorious Goodwood next week, but they are likely to face disqualification from the races after which they tested positive. While disqualification is not automatic, each case will be considered by the BHA's disciplinary panel. If the positive sample was found to be the result of feed, it is most likely the horse will be disqualified from that race and equally likely that there will be no action against the trainer in question. So Estimate will be disqualified from second place in the Gold Cup, meaning the Michael Winters-trained 40-1 shot Missunited will be promoted to second place, Brown Panther to third, Simenon to fourth, Oriental Fox to fifth and Altano to sixth, the last placing to earn prize-money. What happens to the prize-money earned by Estimate at Royal Ascot? In running second in the Gold Cup Estimate earned her owner, the Queen, prize-money of £80,625. If and when Estimate is disqualified this amount will pass to the owner of the third-placed finisher Missunited, Vanessa Hutch, while the prize-money Missunited earned for finishing third, £40,350, passes to the owners of Brown Panther one of whom is Michael Owen, and so on down to sixth place. Will there be any recriminations as a result of the episode? It remains to be seen what was the source of the contamination and whether responsibility is admitted. Given says: "Feed companies aren't regulated or licensed, but I'm not sure if there will be any fall-out regarding the situation with the British Equine Trade Association (BETA), but that only requires a voluntary sign-up agreement. "This incident only seems to involve one feed company, so much will depend on the relationship between the company and its customers and what that company does for its customers."
You raise some interesting points Swanny. Not for me the guillotine. Those from across the ditch at Dover might draw too much pleasure from it's use, not that I'd wish a capital punishment for cases such as these. No, for mine, the pillory will do quite well. I must say however, that if others of a lower ilk wish to opt for the major deterrent, then surely their is a better answer. As I'm a fervent devotee of the abolition of capital punishment, I'd not want a person to carry the total blame for this. I suggest we take the horse involved and make a public example of him. I don't for a moment believe that he's played no part in this farce. Too many drug addicts fail to take responsibility for their actions, and often blame others for their own foibles. A point must be driven home to all racehorses who choose to live their lives in that dim, grey area that divides the wholesome life from that of utter coothlessness. And so it is that I urge those in charge of the Commonwealth games in Glasgow to take action. My suggestion is that the horse's chastisement should take place as a centre piece of the closing ceremony. As the curtains are to be drawn on this wonderful sporting event, the culprit should be led in shame to none other than the Scottish Maiden, and from here, packed off to some upcountry, Jock, sausage factory and then fed to the starving and homeless peoples in that part of the world. Long live hairy, legged men in tartan dresses.
Well, Cyc, the only point I can make is this, and with it my apologies for repeating what has already been stated on this thread. Is the trainer, or indeed the owner, responsible for a banned substance (such as morphine) appearing in a horse's feed supplied by a reputable firm? Is the trainer responsible for additional random lab checks on feedstuff? This is surely a bit much. The supplier of these animal foods must ultimately bear the blame for strange substances appearing in its feed products? The comments above by trainer and qualified vet, John Given, must be seriously considered.
What outcry? If they can throw The Aga Khan’s Aliysa out after winning the Oaks, they can throw out anybody’s horse – the rules are the rules, even if you are the Head of State. Now where did I leave my copy of the Magna Carta? Somehow, I do not see HM refusing to run her horses here for years in protest! Same as any other race: third moves up to second, fourth moves up to third... For what it is worth, I do not see any genuine foul play here. The Queen’s racing manager has come forward and identified her mare as one of the five horses being investigated; however, this does look like a case of horse feed ingredient contamination and I note that the company that supplies the feed has already started an investigation of its own with its supplier. If it turns out that the poppy seeds have come from Afghanistan that would make this a much more high profile story.
Maybe Alfalfa Oil Plus? See above comment from J.Given: "What caused the presence of morphine in these five post-race samples? Well-known feed company Dodson & Horrell has suggested contaminated Alfalfa Oil Plus - a chaff that provides slow release energy - was the culprit and, further to that, via poppy seeds that occur naturally in the environment."
How is it going to be proved that the feed was the problem? Dodson & Horrell have tried to take the heat off the the stables by suggesting one of it's products "could" have been the culprit. They've also stressed that they are not to blame, that the morphine didn't make it's way into the feed on their watch. What's the BHA to do? Obviously all results have to be voided. Do they then punish the trainers, or just chalk it up to bad luck? If the latter, the sport risks looking a laughing stock to the average man on the street.
Isn't it a problem with the BHA doping regime? How can you not allow a trace of something like Morphine which is naturally occurring in locales that feed comes from? The regulation looks wrong to me, and is giving the sport a bad name for being harsh on doping!
Yes it is an ugly situation. Hell, you give a horse a bloody Mars Bar he'll test positive for some damn thing, and/or get the squitters?
The serious answer is (or at least is being given as) poppy seeds. That was why I made the quip about Afghanistan in a previous post. It is not just the source of opium but also of morphine and other derivatives like methadone. I wonder if that Maid In Rio missed its feed a couple of Saturdays ago when it got beat carrying my money as it has won twice since to bring its tally for the season to something like five or six. I believe that it has already been stated that this particular supplier does not provide to one of the trainers involved, so I think this is going to end up being somebody that supplied them with the raw material. If they follow all the food chains they must all lead to one common source; and this does look as accidental as a couple of Welsh athletes getting kicked out of the Commonwealth Games. The end result will be tougher testing rules for suppliers (in both cases).
