Godolphin horse racing trainer banned for eight years

[Simmons]

Trainer who doped leading horses banned for eight years

April 26, 2013 -- Updated 0647 GMT (1447 HKT)

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(CNN) -- The trainer at the center of a doping scandal that stunned the world of horse racing was banned for eight years Thursday by the governing body of the sport of Britain.

Mahmood Al Zarooni, who worked at the world famous Godolphin operation in Newmarket, was handed the punishment by a disciplinary panel of the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), sitting in London.

The 37-year-old admitted a "catastrophic error" in administering prohibited anabolic steroids -- ethylestranol and stanozolol -- to 15 leading thoroughbreds.

Eleven of the horses tested positive when a doping control team from the BHA visited Godolphin's Moulton Paddocks Stables on April 9. Al Zarooni volunteered information about the other four.

All 15 horses, including the former 1,000 Guineas favorite Certify, were banned from racing for six months earlier Thursday by the BHA.

Zero tolerance

"We believe that the eight-year disqualification issued to Mahmood Al Zarooni, together with the six-month racing restriction placed on the horses in question by the BHA, will serve to reassure the public, and the sport's participants, that use of performance-enhancing substances in British racing will not be tolerated," said BHA chief executive Paul Bittar.

Godolphin, one of the world's most successful stables, is owned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai.

He issued a statement Wednesday admitting he was "appalled and angered" by the revelations of doping in his racing empire and had ordered the lockdown of his British operation.
"I can assure the racing public that no horse will run from that yard this season until I have been absolutely assured by my team that the entire yard is completely clean," he said.
Prompt action

Bittar acknowledged this prompt action: "The next objective for BHA is to take the necessary steps to ensure that overall confidence in the integrity of the sport is not at risk.
Doping scandal rocks UK horse racing

"We welcome the proactive response of Godolphin and Sheikh Mohammed in announcing their intention to review the procedures of this stable and the need to ensure that all horses formerly trained by Mahmood Al Zarooni are tested and cleared before they race again."

Al Zarooni, who has trained a string of big race winners since joining Godolphin in March 2010, was charged with rule breaches related to prohibited substances, duty to keep medication records, and conduct prejudicial to racing.

After the hearing, he gave his reaction in a statement: "First and foremost, I would like to apologize to his Highness, Sheikh Mohammed, as well as all those involved in Godolphin and the public.

Trainer apology

"I accept it was my responsibility to be aware of the rules regarding prohibited substances in Britain. I can only apologize. I have made a catastrophic error." Simon Crisford, Godolphin's racing manager, who accompanied Al Zarooni to the hearing, expressed his thoughts to gathered reporters.

"Mr Al Zarooni acted with awful recklessness and caused tremendous damage, not only to Godolphin and British racing," he said. "I think it will take a very long time for Godolphin to regain the trust of the British public. We're shocked and completely outraged by the actions he has taken."

Bittar said the case had highlighted "inconsistencies" about what substances are permitted to be used in the training of horses in different parts of the world. The use of anabolic horses is permitted for out-of-competition use in Australian racing, such as helping to overcome injuries.

"While around the world, horseracing bodies quite rightly adopt a zero tolerance policy to the presence of anabolic steroids when carrying out post-race testing, the approach is not so consistent for horses in training.

"In an age of increasing international travel and competition we will put the subject on the agenda for discussion with our international colleagues," Bittar added.

 

[Simmons]

Godolphin trainer charged over doping breaches

April 24, 2013 -- Updated 1627 GMT (0027 HKT)

(CNN) -- The trainer at the center of a major horse doping scandal has been charged with multiple breaches of the rules by the British Horseracing Authority.

Employed by the ruler of Dubai's prestigious Godolphin operation-- Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum -- trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni has been summoned to attend a disciplinary hearing in central London on Thursday.

Testers from the BHA found anabolic steroids -- ethylestranol and stanozolol -- in 11 samples taken from 45 horses from Godolphin's Newmarket stable in eastern England.

Sheikh Mohammed said he was "locking down" the stables with immediate effect and ordering an internal review. Anabolic steroids work on horses as they do on humans -- helping to build strength and muscle.

Al Zarooni, who has admitted using the banned substances in error, faces charges relating to the use of prohibited substances, keeping medication records and conduct "prejudicial to horse racing".

In addition to the 11 horses that tested positive on April 9, Al Zarooni in co-operating with the investigating officers also admitted that he had given steroids to four more horses. That quartet were not subjected to testing.

"As these additional horses were not tested and no positive samples exist, no charges are brought in relation to them (prohibited substances) and as such the trainer remains facing the original 11 counts of this charge at this stage," said the BHA.

"However, it is appropriate to charge the trainer with breaches of the rules related to medication records and conduct prejudicial to horse racing related to these horses, and therefore the trainer now faces 15 counts of these charges.

Earlier this week Al Zarooni said, in a statement by Godolphin, that he had a made a "catastrophic error." He added: "I deeply regret what has happened because the horses involved were not racing at the time, I did not realize that what I was doing was in breach of the rules of racing.

"I can only apologize for the damage this will cause to Godolphin and to racing generally."

Godolphin is one of the world's most successful stables, with more than 2,000 race wins since it was formed in 1992.

It has been named Champion British Owner eight times, including last year, while Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed and his family have also taken the title on multiple occasions going back to the 1980s.

Meanwhile Sheikh Mohammed pledged to "lock down" Goldophin's Moulton Paddocks stables and test every horse at its Newmarket operation. "I was appalled and angered to learn that one of our stables in Newmarket has violated Godolphin's ethical standards and the rules of British racing," he said.

Stable lockdown

"I have been involved in British horse racing for 30 years and have deep respect for its traditions and rules. There can be no excuse for any deliberate violation. "Godolphin is fully cooperating with the British Horseracing Authority to get to the bottom of this matter and take any appropriate disciplinary action.

"I have ordered the Godolphin management to undertake an immediate review of our internal procedures and controls to ensure to prevent any reoccurrence of this type of activity in any stables of mine.

"We will be locking down the Moulton Paddocks stables with immediate effect, and I have instructed that I want a full round of blood samples, and dope testing done on every single horse on that premises.

"I can assure the racing public that no horse will run from that yard this season until I have been absolutely assured by my team that the entire yard is completely clean."
The richest day of horse racing

Zarooni joined Godolphin in March 2010 and won the St. Leger, one of Britain's five classics, in his first season. But the sanctions now facing the 37-year-old at the disciplinary hearing include substantial fines, the withdrawal of his training licence or a suspension from the sport.

Stanozolol was still legal as recently as 2008, when Big Brown won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes in the U.S. after having regular injections. His trainer's admission, and the subsequent outcry, led to the drug being widely banned.

The BHA said there has only been one other case of anabolic steroids being found in a tested horse in recent years, which was when British trainer Howard Johnson allowed horses to run under the substances in 2008 and 2009.

The use of anabolic steroids is now prohibited at all times for any horse registered as "in training" under the care of a trainer licensed by the BHA. However, it is still legal for out-of-competition use in Australia, such as helping to overcome injuries.

The BHA carries out testing during race meetings and while horses are in training.

In 2012, the organization tested 7,182 samples from a total of 90,174 runners -- 14 of which returned positive results. The BHA conducted between 600-700 tests in 2012 while horses were in training.

 

[Simmons]

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[Simmons]

British racing posse quick to ride easy target out of town

They shoot horses, don’t they? Shoot them full of drugs, I mean. It turns out thoroughbreds in Sheik Mohammed’s Godolphin stable have been pumped full of enough chemical assistance to make Lance Armstrong question whether he picked up the wrong type of saddle all those years ago. It is a fact of life that if money is involved in a sport, someone somewhere will cheat to try to win it. We pretend it is otherwise.

Scandal: Mahmood Al Zarooni and the Godolphin drugs case has rocked horseracing to the core

But it only takes one fool to make a mistake for the hypocrisy to be exposed. Mahmood Al Zarooni (below) got caught and he is now starting an eight-year ban after 14 horses tested positive for anabolic steroids. He was not only dispatched from the sport with indecent haste but told to take the blame with him.

But racing was practically on bended knee to his boss, Sheik Mohammed, for presiding over this stinking stable.

The British Horseracing Authority ‘welcomed’ the Sheik’s ‘proactive response’, hailed his ‘intention to review procedures of the stable’, thanked him for ‘fully co-operating’ and allowing the BHA to ‘provide advice of necessary changes to its procedures where appropriate’.

Al Zarooni was immediately described as a ‘reckless individual’ as the sport reached for the whitewash, in terror sponsors might become anxious or punters might desert them. The president of the Racehorse Owners Association insisted: ‘My message to members is they should not let this incident damage their confidence in British racing — which is clean.’

You can believe racing is squeaky clean. You might also wish to question why racing has been in such a rush to exonerate Sheik Mohammed. Or why Al Zarooni was not sacked last year when urine samples from two horses he trained for the Sheik returned positive tests.

The Sheik himself was banned for six months when a horse he was riding in an endurance event failed doping tests in 2009. The trainer admitted to administering the drugs without the Sheik’s knowledge. Perhaps the Sheik needs to get a handle on what is going on in his businesses.

Blighted: Al Zarooni has been banned for eight years, and 15 horses suspended in the scandal

It must be another source of embarrassment that one of the his wives, Princess Haya of Jordan, is president of the International Equestrian Federation elected on a campaign for a ‘clean sport’.

The Sheik also happens to host the world’s richest horse race, the Dubai World Cup. Last year’s winner was Monterosso — trained by the now banned Al Zarooni.

Anyone might think British racing is lumping everything on this ‘reckless individual’ and shying away from condemning the Sheik because he is the richest and most influential owner-breeder in the world, the Prime Minister and vice-president of the United Arab Emirates and a friend of the Queen. Oh, hang on. I might be on to something here.
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[scroobal]

The Sheikh runs 2 separate stables in both UK and Dubai, each taken charge by a separate trainer. The horses move enbloc between the 2 countries based on seasons. This guy is a former groom who was became the new trainer. This is what happens when you pitch one trainer against the other. Competition is good only when the ultimate owner is separate. Look at Temasek Group of Companies. Both SIA and Tiger are owned by Temasek. They appointed 2 SIA staff to the Tiger board but nothing happened. In the end Tiger crashed. So how come with the same owner, one crashed and the other did not.

Interestingly its is covered in one of the core modules in Harvard Business School.

 

[scroobal]

Btw the Sheik is notorious for his campaign to clean the sport. When one of the boards in the US refused to ban a particular drug that was being abused under the guise of medical treatment, the Sheik withdrew his man from the Board. In the racing fraternity he is known for his stand against doping.

 

[gatehousethetinkertailor]

Btw the Sheik is notorious for his campaign to clean the sport. When one of the boards in the US refused to ban a particular drug that was being abused under the guise of medical treatment, the Sheik withdrew his man from the Board. In the racing fraternity he is known for his stand against doping.

The Sheikh is also renowned for his stance on corrupt practices - he personally visits the various government departments and scares the shit out of the Emiratis because if they do not work diligently, he banishes them home - it is a combination of fear and respect that has helped the Emiratis become much more productive and efficient then their neighbours - as a public persona, he also shuns the typical royalty complex - to most outside of the GCC or unless they have seen it for themselves, unlike the usual pomp and grandeur of Sheikhs in the region, he drives around in his G55 AMG around Dubai and stops and helps stranded expats in desert routes - not the stuff of legend but based on encounters from locals and expats alike - he will typically stroll around Dubai Mall and sit with his family in the Armani Cafe sipping coffee - if you compare any other bureaucratic system in the GCC to Dubai, it is a mark above all others because of this man - in a region when locals have a great sense of entitlement, he humbled them and placed the burden on them to distinguish themselves by having good character and behaviour in particular with work ethic - he is worshipped in Dubai by both locals and expats because he has the balls to do what no other khalij ruler would dare do in the region - say what you may about the Disneyland that is Dubai but understand the region you will then appreciate what a great feat it is to transform a city stuck in a desert culture into a gleaming metropolis of modernity - the neighbours claim Dubai is an abomination of their culture but every weekend the citizens of the same countries flock to Dubai - the city is really booming again and it is the vision and audacity of this man that has made it happen.

P.S. The whole idea and blueprint of Dubai is inspired by what he saw in Singapore more than 20 years ago - Bahrain also had similar aspirations but this came to nought