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TRAINER 'ACTED ALONE'

No new charges in Godolphin doping case

London, July 26, 2013

Dubai’s Godolphin will face no further charges from the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) following an investigation into the Mahmood al Zarooni doping scandal, the governing body.

Trainer Al Zarooni, an employee of Dubai ruler and Godolphin owner Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, was banned by the BHA for eight years in April for administering banned anabolic steroids to 22 horses based in Newmarket, England.

The BHA said the scandal, which caused serious embarrassment to Sheikh Mohammed, was a result of Al Zarooni acting alone and being able "to act in a manner which marginalised several of his senior staff, which subsequently resulted in these events being able to unfold entirely without their knowledge or oversight.

"There was no evidence of any other parties being involved with the administration of prohibited substances beyond those identified at the disciplinary panel hearing on 25th April," the BHA said in a statement.

"The investigation did not find any evidence to suggest the decision to use anabolic steroids involved those that can be considered as Al Zarooni's superiors or any of the other senior figures at the yard, including the Assistant Trainer, Charlie Appleby, and Head Lad, Oliver Costello.

"However, the investigation did highlight a number of key failings both in terms of process and within the management structure at Moulton Paddocks. This created an environment in which these offences were able to be perpetrated by Al Zarooni without being detected by others within the yard."

Al Zarooni, who won the Dubai World Cup - the world's richest horse race for Godolphin in 2012 with Monterosso, as well as two English Classics - the St Leger and 1,000 Guineas, admitted administering prohibited substances to horses at the Moulton Paddocks stable. – Reuters




Tags: Dubai | sheikh mohammed | Godolphin |

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