FATHER AND SON BANNED FOR DOPING

STEPHEN and Michael McConville attempted to deceive stewards when banned substances were found in their possession at the Cheltenham Festival, a disciplinary hearing was told as the pair were banned for three years yesterday. The father and son team from Northern Ireland admitted to giving the prohibited drugs to Anseanachai Cliste before he was due to run in the Foxhunter Chase on March 17. Both claimed they did not know the substances contained banned products. Anseanachai Cliste, a 33-1 shot who subsequently won the Ulster National, was withdrawn from the Foxhunter Chase by stewards. A routine inspection of a bag had found blood-stained syringes as well as the banned adrenal cortex and hemo-15. The latter contains cobalt, a high-priority substance for the British Horseracing Authority because it is a naturally occurring dietary trace mineral which promotes red blood cell count and oxygen-carrying capacity at heightened levels. Cobalt has been central to a number of recent cases in Australia, but this was the first case in Britain, with tests showing levels of the element in Anseanachai Cliste seven times higher than normal. The McConvilles, from Portadown, told BHA officials at Cheltenham that they had administered the substances to try to replace nutrients lost by Anseanachai Cliste after he had suffered a difficult trip to Britain by ferry. But Tim Naylor, representing the BHA, said both men had ‘committed a serious breach of BHA anti-doping rules’. He added: ‘The BHA does not accept Michael or Stephen believed adrenaline might calm the horse down. Adrenaline does not have a calming effect. ‘We have received no further evidence that this was not an attempt to improve the performance of the horse.’ The McConvilles’ legal representative Conor Dufficy said the pair ‘accepted a gross error of judgment on their part’. He added: ‘They panicked and concocted a story that they thoroughly regret.’ Both men received reduced bans for admitting their guilt. They said in a statement: ‘We fully accept the finding of the British Horseracing Authority and regret that they had to invest time and resources to investigate and address the incident. We apologise for what has happened, which was of our own doing due to a lack of knowledge.’