Talking Horses: mystery of cocaine horse set to remain unsolved


Phoenix Thoroughbreds claimed drug would not have affected Walk In The Sun’s performance but panel says it is ‘pointless’ speculating how it got there

The troubled Phoenix Thoroughbreds racing operation claimed that cocaine found in the system of one of its horses after a race at Kempton Park in January 2018 would not have affected its performance, according to the findings of a disciplinary panel which fined the former trainer Jeremy Noseda £1,500 over the positive test this month.

Walk In The Sun, who cost €1.4m (£1.2m) as a breeze-up purchase in the spring of 2017, was trained by Noseda from May 2017 to May 2018, when Phoenix removed its 14-strong string of horses in his stable to other yards. The colt tested positive for both cocaine and benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of the drug, after making a winning debut in a race at Kempton Park in January 2018.

Related: Talking Horses: Cheltenham counts cost of winter behind closed doors

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