JOCKEYS BANNED FOR USING COCAINE
Lengthy terms part of tougher stance
IRISH horse racing chiefs are cracking down on cocaine abuse after two more jockeys were suspended for testing positive for the substance.
At a hearing on Thursday apprentice jockey Damien Melia and amateur Conor Murphy were handed long bans.
Their samples made it 13 positive results for riders in the past four years.
These shocking statistics have led to the Irish Horse Racing Regulatory Board raising the penalty to a starting point of a five-year riding ban. Murphy was slapped with the suspension after testing positive at Cork in November – the longest suspension to be handed out for taking the Class A recreational drug.
The rider, who won a race at the track on the same day he provided the positive sample, blamed “inadvertent exposure through personal contact” for his test result. Melia, who was handed a fouryear ban after testing positive at Gowran Park in October, claimed his drink was spiked.
In November, Chris Timmons was suspended for the same offence and the IHRB is hoping that harsher punishment will deter future offenders.
A Referrals Committee stated: “To date we have tried to impose punishments with an encouragement to undertake rehabilitation and we will continue to do this where we feel it is appropriate.
“It is gratifying that this has worked in individual cases but it is clear that the deterrent effect of the penalties imposed to date is insufficient to prevent the recurrence of positive tests.
“Consequently, the future starting point for penalties for similar offences will be a five-year ban.”