Cocaine investigation found footage of two people who approached filly in Brighton racecourse stables

An investigation into the cause of Lucidity's positive test for cocaine considered whether she had ingested the drug through contact with passers-by at Brighton's racecourse stables. The filly, who has now been disqualified from the second placing she achieved that day, was approached by two people who were subsequently identified by the BHA and interviewed.

The BHA's Charlotte Davison told a disciplinary panel on Tuesday: "CCTV footage shows the horse was approached by an individual who stroked the front of the horse's face. They then took a picture of the horse using their mobile telephone before walking away. 

"They did not appear to touch or stroke the horse's mouth or nose area. However, the footage is unclear because of the distance from the stable to the camera.

"That individual has denied ever taking recreational drugs, even offering to submit to a drugs test, an offer which was not taken up. They accepted that they should not have touched the horse. They are a former staff member at Mr Dunlop's yard and Mr Dunlop confirms this individual knew the horse when they worked for him."

The footage also showed Lucidity moving her head towards a second person, though it was unclear whether contact was made. That person said they had no recollection of a specific incident but insisted they would never touch a strange horse because of the risk of contamination.

Those and other details heard by the panel show the difficulty of establishing the likely cause when a horse tests positive for a drug with which it should have had no contact. The BHA conducted an inspection of Dunlop's yard and found no evidence that cocaine had ever been kept or used there.

The amount found in Lucidity's system was described as small and there was no evidence it had been administered intentionally. Dunlop wanted to have the 'B' sample tested overseas but this was frustrated when labs in France and Germany declined to test it, due to what Davison described as "issues surrounding the importation of cocaine-related substances".

"I understand I'm responsible if a horse tests positive and I have to be fined but this feels tough," Dunlop told the Racing Post in reference to the penalty of a one-year disqualification, suspended for a year but at risk of being triggered if the same thing happens again. 

"There was no room for discretion to make things any better for us. I think they agreed that they all thought it was harsh. 

"I hope the BHA and the National Trainers Federation will look into this, so that it doesn't have to be so black and white. If some unfortunate thing happens in the next 12 months, who knows?"

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