TOP trainer John Gosden has been fined after a drug-using stable lad accidentally contaminated a horse with ketamine.
The BHA handed the Newmarket maestro with a £500 fine after he admitted a small number of his team were bored during lockdown and he believed had turned to drugs.
His filly Franconia was tested after she won at Newbury last June and was later disqualified.
Gosden revealed at the BHA hearing that his member of staff who took the horse to the races eventually came to him to admit he was a recreational user of the drug when away from work.
He believed he carried the drug in his wallet that day and used a card from it to pay for something on the day of the race.
RacingTV reported that Gosden told the hearing: “They’re young people and I think a lot of them were bored.
“I think it’s a nice place to work and overall we have a happy yard. We take cleanliness very seriously.
“There are signs everywhere. We expect people to take pride in themselves.
“We have a zero-tolerance policy towards drugs and alcohol use, but in this case, one of my employees admitted to me that he was a user but only when not at work. He tried to cover it up, but he didn’t manage to.
“It took time, but he came to see me, he broke down in front of me and he was honest with me.
“I didn’t think it was the right thing to fire him and he still works for me. It is my job to try and support my staff and now this is over, I will try to help him understand the seriousness of what he has done.
“People will jump to conclusions and decide all sorts of things without looking into the facts of this unfortunate case. It puts a stain on your character.”
In response, the BHA panel led by Philip Curl, said: “Nobody is suggesting that you administered this drug or had any knowledge that it was being administered.
“The BHA are not suggesting that it is within your gift to completely stop your staff members from using drugs, but the BHA are saying that it is within your powers to advise your staff that they can cause a positive test from contamination and the question is whether sufficient steps were taken here.
After deliberating the case, the panel concluded Gosden had “not proved on balance of probabilities that he had used all precautions to prevent a breach of the rule from happening.”
Curl concluded: “We wish to acknowledge the co-operation he gave the BHA in getting to the bottom of this matter and in supporting the staff member.
“In the circumstances, we feel the penalty should take an unusual course and move outside of the normal guidelines and we therefore have lowered the fine to £500.”
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