Trainers vote to allow the drug testing of staff in Newmarket

Newmarket trainers have voted overwhelmingly to allow staff contracts to be amended to enable drug and alcohol testing to take place in a bid to prevent accidental contamination of horses with prohibited raceday substances.

The vote was taken at a meeting of the Newmarket Trainers Federation and comes in the aftermath of a one-year suspended ban given to Ed Dunlop after one of his horses tested positive for cocaine.

Dunlop was one of 40 trainers to attend the meeting along with representatives from Randox Health, the National Trainers Federation (NTF), National Association of Racing Staff (Nars) and the British Racing School (BRS).

Dunlop has already amended contracts to allow testing to take place on his staff, but said an alteration to NTF contracts, which are used by the majority of trainers, would reduce the possibility of contamination from unknown sources and bring racing in line with other industries.

He said: “There is great concern about what has happened. We wish and hope for what will happen is that we have in the contracts of all of our staff the ability to take anti-doping tests. It would not be a requirement of employment for them to take place, but to have the ability to do so would be important. 

“The majority of trainers use the standard NTF contract and this would become a part of that is the hope. It is not for me to say how other trainers then run their business and if taking the tests is something they want to do once a change is in place. 

“This is about correct practice, and is not in any way about victimisation, and is already in place in any number of other industries. If we can make this change initially and then there is a re-evaluation of the rules, then so be it as that’s not for me to say. This is an urgent matter that needs to be focused on though.”

Ed Dunlop: received a one-year suspended sentenceCredit: Edward Whitaker

The meeting was chaired by Chris Wall, who said the punishment facing trainers due to strict liability if a horse fails a doping test meant increased precautions were vital.

“Strict liability is understandable and if we can trace the source of a positive test then that’s fine,” Wall said. “But if there’s no way to find it and the punishment lands squarely on the trainer in the way it did with Ed Dunlop then that’s unfair. There’s more that can be done on that front as we’re in a position where people can lose their livelihoods through no fault of their own.”

Supporting staff and improving safety in the workplace would be a key benefit of a change, according to BRS chief executive Andrew Braithwaite

He said: “A lot of other safety-critical industries have testing as a matter of routine. If an airline was known not to bother no one would fly with them and that option isn't open to them, they have to do it. That's the angle we would see this through. 

“We would be coming at it not from a testing and trying to catch people point, but a supportive approach. From a BRS perspective, what we would see as very important is that the industry starts to get on the front foot with this.”

Potential changes to contracts are being looked into by the NTF, and chief executive Paul Johnson said: “We are in the process of reviewing existing contract templates and the supporting documents that we provide to our members in order to support those who wish to look at including this in their contracts. These will be discussed with Nars ahead of being circulated to members.”

Read more:

Random drug tests for stable staff set to be introduced after horse's cocaine positive that put Ed Dunlop's licence at risk 

Mark Johnston backs Ed Dunlop call for random drug testing following runner's cocaine positive 

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

'This is racing catching up with the rest of the world' - stable staff body supports random drug testing following Ed Dunlop case

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