Trainer fined Dh20,000 by Emirates Racing Authority for possession of anabolic steroid

Christopher Pike / The National

Trainer Nacer Samiri has been found in possession of an anabolic steroid by the Emirates Racing Authority’s out of competition testing programme and has been fined Dh20,000.

A sample of Stanozolol was delivered unsolicited to Samiri’s Al Wathba Stables training premises, and on November 27 Dr Gabriel Wolcan, a vet, injected the performance-enhancing substance in to a horse named Brraq.

Samiri admitted he was unaware that administering the performance-enhancing drug, or even being in possession of it, was a breach of the rules of racing, and his stable were conscientious enough to write down the usage of the steroid in the horse’s medication log book.

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Samiri was charged only for possession of the drug, which suggests that Brraq’s subsequent test at the ERA’s licensed laboratory returned negative. Wolcan has also been fined Dh20,000 for negligence.

Brraq has been banned from any competition for six months from the date of administration, which effectively rules the horse out of racing until the start of next season.

Meanwhile, Le Bernardin will face nine others in the opening round of the Al Maktoum Challenge at Meydan on Thursday after the declarations to the opening night of the World Cup Carnival were unveiled on Tuesday.

Five-time UAE champion jockey Tadhg O’Shea rode Le Bernardin to beat Layl by a head in the Group 2 contest 12 months ago and they will team up again.

Godolphin rely on Charlie Appleby’s Emotionless, the mount of William Buick.

The race will also feature Pat Cosgrave, whose participation in the Carnival was confirmed with three rides which includes Saeed bin Suroor’s Silent Attack in the 1,800-metre turf race.

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