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Zarooni

It's been said before, but it's clear the benefit of a winter in Dubai was more than just sun on their backs.

That said, if they've had a systematic doping programme all these years they aren't very good at it. The success they've had has hardly been US Postal-esque... Unless Ballydoyle have even better drugs.
 
Racing Post ‏@RacingPost 1m
Encke is believed to be one of a number of new positive tests from the Mahmood Al Zarooni stable after his whole string was tested by BHA
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oh dear. another can of worms opened.

you have to feel for ballydoyle if it turns out encke was roided up for the st leger. although i doubt that could ever be 100% proved now.
 
The seven horses to have failed tests for anabolic steroids are Encke, Energizer, Genius Beast, Improvisation, Stamford, Steeler and Zip Top
 
Sheikh said:
They can hardly give the Leger to Camelot now (I'm sure Coolmore will have a got at it)
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Encke was tested before and after the Leger and was clean - the question of course is what was he on before he went into training ?

Those extra seven positives of some of their best horses is likely to make arguing for a reduction in his penalty a rather unenviable brief . I hope Mr Clegg Q.C is getting well paid for it !
 
Sheikh orders steroids ban

  • Last Updated: May 23 2013, 16:54 BST
Sheikh Mohammed has vowed his Godolphin operation will go from "strength to strength" after ordering a decree banning the use of anabolic steroids in Dubai.

sheikh-mohammed-new-full_2939467.jpg

Sheikh Mohammed: Ordered UAE ban of steroids


The ruler of Dubai has moved to prohibit the use of the performance-enhancing drugs following the British Horseracing Authority's decision to ban former Godolphin trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni for eight years after he admitted administering the substances to several horses in his care.
Anabolic steroids were allowed to be used on horses not in training in Dubai but from now on, anyone found using, selling or buying any performance-enhancing drugs in the United Arab Emirates for equine purposes will be breaking the new law.

"I have always believed in the integrity of horse racing and all other horse sports," Sheikh Mohammed told www.godolphin.com.
"I have, in light of the unfortunate recent event, directed that a decree be issued making, with immediate effect, the import, sale, purchase or use of anabolic steroids in horse sports a criminal offence under the UAE penal laws.

"Regrettably, one of my stables in Europe has recently fallen below the standards that I expect and will tolerate.

"As soon as the internal investigations are complete and the requisite pre-emptory rules are put in place, Godolphin will go from strength to strength and lead, once again, adherence to the highest standards in that gracious sport."
 


Scandal of Godolphin trainer Mahmood al-Zarooni's doping still festers

British Horseracing Authority needs to hold its horses and produce credible account of Moulton Paddocks scandal


http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2013/jun/09/godolphin-doping-british-horseracing-authority


This is a link to Greg Wood's article in the Guardian on 9 June. He is right to be keeping an eye on this matter, to ask how appropriate it is to replace al-Zarooni with his assistant, and to question the entitlement of horses from Moulton paddocks to already be allowed go to the races.
 
Are all Zarooni's old horses now running under Suroor's name? I, for one, would be interested to know if they are being trained at Moulton or in Suroor's yard in Newmarket. It's not fair having to second guess whether a 2yo is being trained by Suroor or not. I prefer my 2yo's trained by the latter....punter transparency comes last yet again.
 
As I understand it, they're still at Moulton and under the license of Suroor but Zarooni's former assistant Charlie Appleby is applying for a license to take over at Moulton.
 
Gareth Flynn said:
As I understand it, they're still at Moulton and under the license of Suroor but Zarooni's former assistant Charlie Appleby is applying for a license to take over at Moulton.
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Sooner the better so we can differentiate the 2yo's ready to run first time up.
 
That is an absolutely brilliant piece from a top-notch journalist.

Nail has been hit squarely on the head. I am amazed at the goodwill and benefit of the doubt that people seem to extend to Sheikh Mohammed in this instance. I find it incredible that a promotion from within was even considered, let alone rubberstamped.

If Appleby claims he knew nothing about what was going on in the stables, he is either a liar or a complete spacer.
 
The trouble is that doping is not taken seriously enough by the racing public. Where's the outcry? Dumb punters claim that most races are "fixed" anyway and still carry on in their miserable way

Wood makes a great point there that this is far far more significant the odd pull at lingfield

The other fear is that the sheik will do an AGA khan if pressed too much in this. Ok . So you take that chance. What's more important? The credibility of the sport or a under performing big stable?
 
Racing is like cycling but 25 years behind - the latter has dealt (or at least attempted to deal with it) whilst racing just bans one man and seemingly pretends there's no issue.

Reading the BHA press release there were talks of failings at Godolphin from top to bottom - yet they saw fit to issue a training license to Al Zarooni's assistant (a chap who couldn't tell that his boss was doping a sizeable number of horses in the yard).

Martin
 
I have to say my belief in racing as a clean sport has been shaken.

I didn't know that Australian racing allows the use of steroids as long as they are out of the system on race day. I won't be so amazed next time I see one of their sprinters at Ascot looking more like a pedigree bull than a racehorse.

I didn't know that the use of steroids on horses out of training was legal in Dubai until it was announced recently that they would be banned.

I now see that the concepts of "in training" and "out of training" constitute a serious grey area, especially where Dubai is concerned, but not just Dubai. When Binocular was sent to Ireland a couple of months before he won the Champion Hurdle was he at that stage in or out of training? Was he theoretically subject to inspection by the Irish racing authorities during that time? And what about horses out on summer grass, or in pre-training, especially those that are sent to another country for these activities? Are they subject to inspection when they are not racing and are away from their home jurisdiction?

I didn't know that the small number of stable visits by the racing authorities are pre-announced, apart from the follow-up visits if a trainer has previously been caught using forbidden substances. I thought that every stable, whatever its compliance history, had to live with the possibility of a surprise visit.

I didn't know that trainers can apparently get their hands on substantial quantities of steroids without much problem.

It now seems to me that whatever the true extent of doping in racing might be, the sport is potentially very open to it. All credit to Greg Wood for sinking his teeth into this issue and not letting go. Brian O'Connor of the Irish Times also deserves praise for drawing attention to the running down of integrity services in Irish racing.
 
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clivex said:
The other fear is that the sheik will do an AGA khan if pressed too much in this. Ok . So you take that chance. What's more important? The credibility of the sport or a under performing big stable?
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i think if we have to kowtow and allow anything goes due to one person then the sport is in a really really bad way...a moral dilemma yes..but one way is right..the other way is wrong no matter how much we think racing will suffer without one owner
 
The mere fact that Crisford was allowed to sit next to Bittar at that press conference allows for an appearance of bias even if no bias exists - the handling of this case has been a disaster .

There must be an arguable case for hiving off the disciplinary processes independent of the BHA management.
 
Grey said:
I have to say my belief in racing as a clean sport has been shaken.

I didn't know that Australian racing allows the use of steroids as long as they are out of the system on race day. I won't be so amazed next time I see one of their sprinters at Ascot looking more like a pedigree bull than a racehorse.

I didn't know that the use of steroids on horses out of training was legal in Dubai until it was announced recently that they would be banned.

I now see that the concepts of "in training" and "out of training" constitute a serious grey area, especially where Dubai is concerned, but not just Dubai. When Binocular was sent to Ireland a couple of months before he won the Champion Hurdle was he at that stage in or out of training? Was he theoretically subject to inspection by the Irish racing authorities during that time? And what about horses out on summer grass, or in pre-training, especially those that are sent to another country for these activities? Are they subject to inspection when they are not racing and are away from their home jurisdiction?

I didn't know that the small number of stable visits by the racing authorities are pre-announced, apart from the follow-up visits if a trainer has previously been caught using forbidden substances. I thought that every stable, whatever its compliance history, had to live with the possibility of a surprise visit.

I didn't know that trainers can apparently get their hands on substantial quantities of steroids without much problem.

It now seems to me that whatever the true extent of doping in racing might be, the sport is potentially very open to it. All credit to Greg Wood for sinking his teeth into this issue and not letting go. Brian O'Connor of the Irish Times also deserves praise for drawing attention to the running down of integrity services in Irish racing.
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The only legitimate reason that a racehorse should be administered steroids is if helping to recover from illness. Yet it goes on all the time from presenting a young horse in the sales ring to racing it at big meetings. As long as they are clear of it on race day they get away with it. Until widespread unannounced testing of horses in training at any time during the season takes place with severe penalties for the offenders it will continue.
 
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