Doping Scandal: Bookmakers To Refund Bets

Several UK bookmakers have announced they will return bets to race-goers who placed money on horses tested positive for steroids.

英国赛马界著名的戈多尔芬纯种赛马驯养场爆出马匹服用违禁的类固醇激素丑闻。马场将在英国赛马局的听证会结束后采取内部处罚行动。

英国赛马管理局主管行业操守、法律和风险事务的负责人亚当·布里科尔（Adam Brickell）说，被查出的两种药物都是合成代谢类固醇，无论是在参赛还是在训练期间，都属于违禁药物。

The familiar scenes of horses out training in new market, the home of British racing, which has today been rocked by its biggest ever doping scandal. The Godolphin Stable is considered by many to be new market’s most prestigious brand. But following spot tests by the British horseracing authority, its trainer has admitted giving 11 horses steroids.

I was absolutely stunned when I heard the news that Mahmood Al Zarooni, 11 of his horses positive, I can understand, well, I can understand 1 or 2, but I can’t understand 11, this is a guy, he trains some of the best horses in the world, including one of the famous, the 1,000 Guineas who now will not be allowed to run.

Owned by Sheikh Mohammed, ruler of Dubai, Godolphin is legendary, his horse trainer, Mahmood Al Zarooni was celebrated in the industry. In March last year, his horse Monterosso, won the world’s richest race, the Dubai Cup. Now questions will be raised over his methods.

Paper is gonna be writing question marks and pointing fingers at every single one of Al Zarooni’s big race victories. That’s what happens unfortunately when these things go on, and you know, this is absolutely crazy to risk being caught of ministering anabolic steroids to the horses, I mean this is the one thing you do not do.

Suspicions were raised last year when two Godolphin horses, Mariner’s Cross and Lyric of Light tested positive for painkillers after racing.

Al Zarooni was fined 1,000 pounds for that breach, but 12 months later, the British horseracing authority decided to do spot checks here at the stables, of 45 horses, 11 tested positive for banned steroids.

What appears to be in this case they’re being given for performance enhancement, and that really means that they’re used in training, during training either as a paste given by mouth, or tablets given by mouth or as an injection into the muscle, and that has the effect of enabling the horse to put on an increase in muscle mass and gain muscle strength during training.

But Al Zarooni claims that because the horses were resting, not racing, he didn’t realize he was in breach of the rules, one trainer says he can understand that.

I worked as a mayor for a number of years. As in the system where you could use a sort of steroids, sort of stuff like … …, just to pick him up, you can run on him as well.

Trainer Al Zarooni now faces a disciplinary inquiry and a possible life ban. Godolphin is conducting a review of its procedures and on another wise, Gloria stay, racing right to another storm.

Jason Ferrell, Sky News.