Talking Horses: BHA on alert as Irish increase jockeys' cocaine bans

Anti-doping programmes in Britain will be the priority as two jockeys in Ireland are given five-year suspensions after returning positive tests

The British Horseracing Authority said on Friday that “an overall review of the anti-doping education program” for jockeys will be “a priority” in 2019, and that a review of the penalty structure for riders testing positive for cocaine and recreational drugs could be included “if appropriate”. For the moment, however, the BHA has “no immediate plans” to follow the lead of the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB), its Irish counterpart, which said this week that its new standard punishment for a cocaine positive will be a five-year ban.

There has been a slight rise in the number of jockeys returning positive tests for cocaine on British tracks in recent years, and while there was just one positive in 2018, there were three in 2015 and two in both 2016 and 2017, following a six-year period from 2009 to 2014 with just one cocaine positive in total.

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The Chatteris Fen Juvenile Hurdle at Huntingdon is the feature event on the British programme this afternoon and while Fret D’Estruval (2.30) is a little weak in the market this morning – out to 9-2 from 11-4 overnight – he is still worth backing to step up from a very promising first run in Britain in a strong event at Cheltenham last time. In the end, he finished 40 lengths behind the winner Nelson River, but Alan King’s gelding looked likely to take a hand in the finish for much of the way and could be suited by today’s sharper test.

Wood Pigeon (2.00) also has an obvious chance on the same card, while Whiteoak Fleur (2.20) and Instant Replay (2.50) both have solid claims up at Sedgefield. Dancing Jo (1.10) and Betancourt (6.45) look best on the cards at Lingfield and Wolverhampton respectively. 

Huntingdon: 1.00 Twenty Twenty 1.30 Precious Bounty 2.00 Wood Pigeon (nb) 2.30 Fret D’Estruval (nap) 3.00 Well Smitten 3.30 Etamine Du Cochet