Horse racing needs more consistency on drugs
British Horseracing Authority chief executive says rules need to change following Godolphin doping scandal.
The Godolphin doping scandal should prompt international racing authorities to look at bringing consistency to the rules on using drugs, British Horseracing Authority (BHA) chief executive Paul Bittar said on Friday.
Godolphin trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni was disqualified for eight years on Thursday by the BHA after admitting administering anabolic steroids to 15 of the horses he trained in Newmarket, England for owner Sheikh Mohammed.
The rules of racing vary around the world. In Australia, for example, the use of anabolic steroids is permitted out of competition and Zarooni admitted to making a catastrophic error but said he did not realise what he was doing was not allowed.
“If I was advocating about what the rules should be, I think it’s pretty hard to take a dim view of athletes using performance-enhancing drugs and drugs that promote growth, such as anabolic steroids, and be critical of athletes using those drugs, but think it’s acceptable for horses to be treated in that way,” Bittar was quoted as saying on the BHA website.
“Having said that, the circumstances in Australia and other jurisdictions are different. We will certainly be using this case as an opportunity to put the consistent use of drugs internationally back on the agenda of the IFHA (International Federation of Horseracing Authorities).
“I’m very comfortable with the rules in Britain and I think we’ve got the best rules in the world in that regard,” Bittar said.
The 15 horses Emirati Al Zarooni admitted doping, including leading 1,000 Guineas contender Certify, were banned from racing for six months.