Racing: Police prepare to join doping inquiry

Thursday 25 February 1993 00:02 GMT
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AS THE Jockey Club's investigators tried to establish the reason for the dope test failure of Martin Pipe's Her Honour yesterday, the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary was officially notified of their inquiry and is standing by to join it.

While the Club added nothing more to Tuesday's announcement that Her Honour tested positive for a prohibited substance after her 40-length defeat by Indian Quest at Kempton last month, it was left to the West Country force to comment. 'Further discussions will be taking place,' Detective Superintendent Michael Walsh said. 'There may be an investigation when we are in full possession of the facts.'

Martin Pipe suspects that the filly was 'got at' - probably with a fast-acting tranquiliser administered at the course but Michael Webster, Kempton's clerk of the course, declared himself satisfied with the track's security. 'The situation here is no different from what it was before the results of the analysis were known,' he said. 'The test has shown positive, but as far as we know at the moment it could have come from many different sources.'

In an unrelated case, Chris Trietline, the trainer, was fined pounds 1,500 by the Jockey Club's Disciplinary Committee yesterday. A dope test following the success of his gelding The Hidden City at Ludlow in November was positive for the prohibited substance isoxsuprine, which derived from the medication Navilox.

Trietline admitted the offence, and The Hidden City was disqualified from first place. The race was awarded to Alosaili, trained by Barry Stevens and ridden by his son, Mark.

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