“I have made a big mistake and am paying a big price”

British thoroughbred trainer Gerard Butler, banned for 5 years this calendar week over the injection of anabolic steroids into the joints of racehorses, says he is paying a heavy toll for what he described every bit a large mistake.

Butler received the ban from the British Horseracing Authority arising from its investigation into the so-called Sungate affair.

Five of Butler’s horses tested positive for the anabolic steroid, stanozolol, which it transpired resulted from the purpose of a licensed Italian-made articulation medication called Sungate, which a local vet had prescribed  and administered.

However, 4 other horses inwards his stables besides tested positive for the banned steroid. It emerged during the disciplinary hearing that Butler had injected 4 horses himself amongst a human preparation called Rexogin, containing the same anabolic steroid every bit Sungate but at 10 times the strength.

The discplinary panel described Butler’s actions every bit an appalling breach of his duty to expect subsequently the interests of the horses inwards his care.

In a contestation released through his solicitor, Richard Brooks, of Withy King, Butler said he had no intention of hiding from his responsibleness for an error of judgment that had undone many years of honest endeavour.

“While this has been a devastating in addition to humiliating experience for me, I am inwards a higher house all aware of its behave on on others: non simply my family, staff in addition to owners but besides the sport I conduct hold ever loved.

“I exclusively wishing to offering 1 or 2 observations, then, amongst no intention of diluting the contrition I feel. My sense that I had betrayed the standards I conduct hold ever sought to keep tin last judged from the fact that I myself brought a seat out of breaches to the attending of the British Horseracing Authority.

“I promise it has besides larn evident how widespread were the misunderstandings, amid the grooming in addition to veterinarian communities inwards Newmarket, over the purpose of Sungate.

“With that inwards mind, I must emphasise that no damage resulted to whatever of the horses involved – and, inwards a higher house all, that I would never conduct hold knowingly risked whatever such harm. It was incorrect for me to cutting corners but I did hence principally through naivety.

“I am grateful for the many messages I conduct hold received that recognise this, in addition to besides how distressed I am to conduct hold permit myself in addition to others down. I conduct hold made a large mistake, in addition to am paying a large price. The consequences for my married adult woman in addition to 3 sons volition last a daily reproach, harder to behave than whatever judgements passed past times others.

“All I tin create is seek to selection upwards the pieces. I volition create hence amongst a painfully renewed sense that the principles I neglected, inwards 1 disastrous lapse, volition last those that serve me best inwards trying to rebuild my life.”

Earlier report

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