Three-month delay for BHA steroid policy

THE BHA have attempted to put a brave face on a threemont h delay to the i ntroduction of their flagship policy of zero tolerance to anabolic steroids.

A spokesman also denied that breaking the story on the busy last Friday before Christmas was an attempt to bury bad news.

New rules were set to be implemented on January 1. The delay until March 2015 is a blow to outgoing chief executive Paul Bittar, who put drug policy at the top of the agenda since last year’s scandals involving trainers Mahmood Al Zarooni and Gerard Butler.

The BHA, who have committed to out-of-training testing, were forced to act after pressure from trainers and owners, who have sought more clarity on who will be held responsible if a horse tests positive.

A trainer is responsible for a horse in his stable. In all other cases, t he r esponsibility switches to the owner.

There is a potential grey area as horses are transferred between the two, but it is hard to believe that, after six months of consultation, this i ssue was not sorted out.

J a mi e St i e r, Director of Raceday Operation and Regulation for the BHA, said: ‘This is a complex issue. While we are disappointed not to be in a position to launch on January 1, I have no doubt we are doing the right thing in not trying to rush its introduction.’ TRAINER Paul Nicholls (below) says the longer JLT Novices’ Chase rather than the Arkle Trophy is the more likely Cheltenham target of Ptit Zig, nine-length winner of the Grade Two Novices’ Chase at Ascot.

He jumped with more fluency than Nicky Henderson’s chasing debutant and runner-up Josses Hill.

Henderson, who took the Supreme Trial Novices’ Hurdle with L’Ami Serge, will aim Ma Filleule at the new Mares’ Chase at Doncaster on December 29 after confirming that she, like Simonsig, misses the King George VI Chase at Kempton.

The Kempton race is a target for Nigel Twiston- Davies- trained Double Ross but stablemate The New One misses a clash with Faugheen in the Christmas Hurdle on the same card. The winner of the International Hurdle at Cheltenham last Saturday goes for Haydock’s Champion Hurdle Trial on January 17 instead.