Godolphin

I thought norses were tested at race tracks? Are steroids difficult to detect in animals?

That should of course, read 'horses' not 'norses'.

Noodles , get back later hungry husband to feed ..

A norse, a norse, my kingdom for a norse.

Elegran!

Actual lols.

Noodles, the hubby is now fed and watered and is one happy bunny . He is watching the news , then will watch some footie.

Horses - Norses

Yes they are tested on the track .

But, if BHA have any misgivings they are authorised to make unnanounced checks at stables where horses are in training . They did so on 9/4/13 and found 11 out of 48 tested positive for steroids .

Quite sad all round .

One of the drugs found, stanozolol, is the one that Ben Johnson used. Any ante post bets for the 1,000gns are to be refunded, I believe. Thank goodness Dawn Approach stayed with Jim Bolger when Godolphin bought him, otherwise we'd have a banned 2,000gns and Derby favourite . Stanozolol was used legally in America for a long time. I don't know anything about the other drug, ethylestranol, and don't know how long the affected horses will be banned for.

Does this mean that steroids are difficult to trace? (I know nothing about horses and racing.) Wonder how long that's been going on...

Totally ignorant about horse racing. Just wondered why such a longtime successful and well thought of trainer would do that - must have known the risk of possibly being found out. Assume the owner knew nothing, and it was just the trainers doing it? Surely he'll lose a fantastic job now. Why ?

Well he hasn't been training for very long and I think it's ok to use steroids for medical purposes if there's a muscle problem for example. There is rigorous post race drug testing on any horse winning a race or a beaten favourite. But one of their horses neat Camelot who was trying to win the triple crown [2,000gns, Derby and St Leger] and I hope the Zarooni horse won it purely on merit.

perhaps there was a whistle blower , who knows ??

I thnk Zarooni has only been training the Sheiks horses for may be 2 years .

Having to be careful what we say on the forums with the owner being the ruler of Dubai . Pity about all this because the Godolphin horses do particulary well at Nottingham and I was keeping an eye on them running there. I hope Saieed bin Suroor doesn't have a problem as well because I quite like him. Whistle blower; maybe it was Frankie . But they do spot checks at stables anyway; trainer should have realised that. Mind you, I'm a bit tied up with Punchestown at the moment [ watched Sprinter Sacre win again today]. Wish I was there. We used to go every year and then travel round Ireland for the rest of the week.