Estimate DQ’d From Gold Cup Second

ESTIMATE DQ’D FROM GOLD CUP SECOND 
The Queen’s Estimate (Ire) (Monsun {Ger}) has been disqualified from her second-place finish in this year’s G1 Gold Cup as a result of a morphine and oripavine positive related to contaminated feed. Estimate was one of eight horses caught up in Britain’s morphine saga over the summer, with the other six involved in yesterday’s hearing also disqualified. One more case–that of trainer Eve Houghton-Johnson–is still to be heard. 

Because of the nature of the source of the morphine, Estimate’s trainer, Sir Michael Stoute, was not penalized, nor were any of the other trainers–Barry and Charlie Hills, Gay Kelleway and Tony Carroll–with horses affected. 
John Warren, racing manager to The Queen, described the British Horseracing Authority’s investigation as “thorough and fair.” 

“Following today’s meeting of the disciplinary panel of the British Horseracing Authority, we totally accept in full the panel’s findings,” Warren said. “We are grateful to the BHA for its thorough and fair investigation, which concluded that the positive samples from seven horses, including Estimate, were the result of a contaminated batch of feed from an independent supplier. We also welcome the BHA’s recognition that the five respective trainers, who include Sir Michael Stoute, took all reasonable precautions to avoid breaching the Rules of Racing, and that the accidental administration of a prohibited substance was in no way the fault of those connected to the horses.” 

The morphine and oripavine positives are expected to have stemmed from poppy seeds that contaminated a feed product produced by feed company Dodson & Horrell. Barry Hills suggested he could take legal action against the feed suppliers.
“I haven’t spoken to anyone else, but that would seem to be the sensible thing to do,” he said. “Owners need compensation for things like transport, and other bits and pieces.” 

Jamie Stier, the BHA’s director of raceday operations and regulation, said, “It was BHA’s position in the hearing that the source of the positive samples for morphine and oripavine was a contaminated batch of feed and that in the circumstances the trainers took all reasonable precautions to avoid breaching the Rules of Racing. As such BHA submitted that no penalty should be imposed on the trainers; however, in accordance with the Rules of Racing, the horses involved should be disqualified from the relevant races. The disciplinary panel today agreed this position.”