Britain to double dope testing of racehorses in training

The drug testing of British racehorses inwards preparation volition double, inwards a serial of measures aimed at toughening Britain’s anti-doping regime.

The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has announced the completion of a review of its anti-doping in addition to medication command policy. As a result, the ascendence volition pass to a greater extent than coin on its anti-doping controls.

Changes include:

• The doubling of the release of testing samples taken from racehorses. In 2012, 600 to 700 tests were carried out.
• Post-race testing samples to increment yesteryear twenty percent.
• An extended but renegotiated contract alongside the means responsible for the testing, resulting inwards lower per-unit sampling costs.
• An increased investment inwards research, including the continuation of pilus sample analysis techniques inwards gild to explore the feasibility of regulatory pilus sampling.

The manufacture was rocked yesteryear 2 major doping scandals this year, involving trainers Mahmood Al Zarooni in addition to Gerard Butler. Al Zarooni was banned for 8 years for anabolic steroid role inwards throughbreds in addition to Butler for 5 years for steroid role inwards treating articulation ailments. Butler had inwards closed to cases illegally injected the horses’ joints himself.

The authority’s main executive, Paul Bittar, said: “The 2 high-profile investigations this twelvemonth create got brought BHA’s Anti-Doping in addition to Medication Control Policy into the spotlight, in addition to highlighted the require for an appropriately robust strategy towards doping control.

“The objective is that via enhancements to our testing programme in addition to strategy, every bit good every bit the pregnant penalties handed to those who create got breached the rules this year, nosotros increment the deterrent against the role of prohibited substances.”

A review of the existing policy began inwards May in addition to considered all aspects, including the overall strategy towards doping control, the budget allocated, release in addition to residue of each method of testing, screening techniques, the contract alongside the testing means in addition to the direction of query in addition to development.

The revised policy volition boot the bucket effective on Jan 1.

“In an ideal basis at that topographic point would endure no boundary to the sum of testing nosotros conduct, but nosotros are constrained alongside regard to both budget in addition to resources,” Bittar said.

“However, nosotros create got secured an increment inwards the budget available for 2014 in addition to an effective strategy is non exactly measured yesteryear the release of samples taken, but too the methods adopted to ensure that the correct samples are beingness taken at the correct time.

“While both of the high-profile investigations inwards 2013 arose from positive samples detected inwards the equivalent of out-of-competition testing rather than post race, nosotros create visit testing-in-training to endure the expanse where a pregnant increment is warranted.

“Modern-day anti-doping strategies across all sports are increasingly focusing on out-of-competition testing every bit trends motion towards substances that are administered good inwards advance of the functioning to allow athletes to compete ‘substance free’ on the day.

“As such, BHA’s anti-doping strategy for 2014 has an increased emphasis on testing-in-training.

“The policy’s objective is to deter in addition to foreclose horses from competing nether the influence of prohibited substances in addition to and thence ensure a marking playing plain for all of the sport’s participants.”

Bittar said he was confident that at that topographic point was no underlying endemic work on this forepart inwards horseracing. He said he he hoped the enhanced programme would serve to retain the confidence of both participants in addition to those who bet on the sport.

“It has been a challenging year, but nosotros promise that the enhancements made to our testing policies, the tightening of for certain rules in addition to the advancements led yesteryear BHA inwards establishing an international minimum measure on anabolic steroid use, has, every bit a result, made the sport a ameliorate environs both inwards Britain in addition to worldwide.”

 

 

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