Statement by Godolphin re: Serious irregularities found in samples

not sure how bha hearings work but surely his solicitor would be able to do all the talking....


He is allowed legal representation. I think he'd be best advised to let said person do most of the talking too.

Sky News Now

Anaglogs ...im starting to see you almost like in an office surrounded by multitude of screens ,computers ,tickertape outlets ,bit like the guy in space station of thunderbirds connected to the worlds pulse ,,reacting to events and in turn moulding them on here ,,, y would do well in north korea

Been thinking about this if a human is juicing once you stop, your hormone levels crash and you have to go into PCT to go back to normal hormone production. In this cycle you lose most of your gains hence people who are caught in sprinting etc havnt entered PCT and still on their cycles. Looking at Big Browns run in the Belmont you could say the exact same thing happens to horse.
So basically Al Zarooni probably took a huge risk for not much gains.

Sheikh Mohammed wont be happy says James Crispe?, as if the sheikh is entirely innocent and childlike and hadn't a clue his horses were running on dope hence why they farmed races in his homeland?.

wont be happy .... THE BLAND LEADING THE BLAND

I too think of Anaglog as a one man Reuter service.

Great to see the ferocious British Racing Media getting well stuck into this huge story, knocking down doors and doorstepping everyone in sight to get a reaction to this scandal.

Right?


I can hardly wait for 'Get In' to start back up. Harvey and Weaver will surely be urging the stiffest possible sanctions on the miscreants.

"It's very unfortunate what's happened, but he's a lovely lad and he'll learn from this and hopefully come back better than ever".

is that suarez ,dettori,or the trainer ,,, gerard

Dean Mckeown

Has all that DNA  testing  by the Food Standards Agency on Tesco mince led them to Godolphin ?

Camelot Triple Crown bid scuppered questionably perhaps?

"It's very unfortunate what's happened, but he's a lovely lad and he'll learn from this and hopefully come back better than ever".


shame he didnt learn from the 2 positive tests last year - how many chances do you want to give him  -  only Henderson gets away with things like this!

Leading story on Sky News now

Interesting point about Camelot. That's the trouble with illegal drug use -once they enter the equation everything is open to suspicion and even genuine achievement is tainted.

Thank the Lord no British Racing "Journalist" would have a first thought along the lines of sending out The Most Cringeworthy Suck-Up Message In History into the Twittersphere.

^Thommo

Derek Thompson ‏@tommoracing 19h
My thoughts go out to Sheikh Mohammed who never ever would want to win anything unless it was purely on merit!

Pass the sick bag please!

Entered in the Bet365 Maiden Stakes at Sandown on Friday. Mahmood Al Zarooni horse: Controversy

Wonder who the whistle blower was....my guess either Teddy Grimthorpe or Aiden ...then again no mention of every other word being 'you know' so that rules Aiden out so must have been Teddy doing his impersonation of Mr Abdullah.

They didn't need a whistleblower, they have previous


maxheadroom     Joined: 11 Aug 10
Replies: 2268 22 Apr 13 19:22 
from 2009
Sheikh Mohammed, one of the biggest names in horse racing globally, has been embarrassed by a doping scandal involving a horse he has ridden in endurance races in Bahrain and Dubai. The horse, Tahhan, which the Sheikh owns, was found to have two banned substances in its system after testing by the Sheikh's own staff

The Disciplinary Panel of the British Horseracing Authority held an enquiry on 16 August 2012 into the analysis of the urine ordered to be taken from two horses trained by Mahmood Al Zarooni:
    1. MARINER’S CROSS (IRE), at Newmarket after the colt finished first in the Swan At Lavenham Wood Ditton Stakes on 19 April 2012, and
    2. LYRIC OF LIGHT, at Newmarket after the filly was unplaced in the QIPCO 1000 Guineas Stakes (British Champion Series) on 6 May 2012.
The Panel also considered whether or not to take action under Rule (A)74.2 of the Rules of Racing in respect of the possible disqualification of the two horses.

The samples taken from MARINER’S CROSS (IRE) and LYRIC OF LIGHT were found to contain propoxyphene, which is a prohibited substance. The analysis of the ‘B’ samples confirmed the original findings. After considering the evidence, including written statements from Mahmood Al Zarooni, the Panel was unable to establish the source of the substance, and could not therefore be satisfied that the administration of the substance was accidental.

The Panel accepted an admission from Mahmood Al Zarooni that he was in breach of Rule (C)53 on both occasions and imposed a fine of £1,000 for each breach. Under Rule (A)74.2 the Panel disqualified MARINER’S CROSS (IRE), placing MUKHADRAM first, FLUCTUATE (USA) second, HILL STREET (IRE) third and BUNRAKU fourth in the Swan at Lavenham Wood Ditton Stakes. The Panel also disqualified LYRIC OF LIGHT from the QIPCO 1000 Guineas Stakes (British Champions Series).

So far I have heard Lee Mottershead on ATR and Bruce Millington on TalkSport talking about this. Looking forward to hearing someone with something interesting to say-is McCririck still around?

Lead story on Sky News at Two

Terrible news
Sad day for racing & the boysNblue

Fantastic to see that Sky went to the Top Man of the British Racing Media for his astute insight into the matter.

A real shame that he couldn't work Shergar into the conversation.

BHA hoping to bring specific charges today or tomorrow; hearing to be 'sooner rather than later'

thommo tweet

PMSL

bha.com

NTF shock at Al Zarooni findings


The National Trainers Federation has admitted it is "shocked" at the news of positive tests for steroids on horses trained by Mahmood Al Zarooni.

The trainers' professional body says it fully endorses the British Horseracing Authority's regime of testing in training.

"Like everyone else in the sport of horseracing, the NTF is shocked at the news of these positive tests at the stable of Mahmood Al Zarooni," said chief executive Rupert Arnold in a statement.

"The Godolphin management, for whom Mr Al Zarooni trains, is a byword for the highest levels of professionalism, integrity and sportsmanship.

"News reports so far suggest this case is an aberration and is not indicative of wider use of anabolic steroids in British horseracing.

"We fully endorse the British Horseracing Authority's testing in training regime and all efforts to prevent the use of any prohibited substance to gain an unfair advantage. Without wanting to diminish the seriousness of this case, in some ways it is a positive message that the presence of these substances was detected so the sport is kept clean."

Al Zarooni is to face a BHA disciplinary panel hearing after samples taken from 11 horses in his care at Moulton Paddock Stables in Newmarket on April 9 were found to contain traces of anabolic steroids, including leading 1000 Guineas hope Certify (ethylestranol) and Ascot Gold Cup runner-up Opinion Poll (stanozolol).

The handler's only intended runner today, Press Room, was taken out of the 10-furlong contest at Yarmouth. The horse was reported to be coughing.

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, David Mountford, chief executive of the British Equine Veterinary Association, said: "The rules are fairly clear, and I think most trainers would be aware of those rules. The use of anabolic steroids in training is banned in UK racing.

"It's obviously being taken very seriously by all concerned. And I would expect if, as looks likely, people are found guilty of breaching the rules, they would be treated severely."

So many questions for Godolphin to answer over steroids discovery

The drugging of 11 of his horses calls into question the judgment of Sheikh Mohammed, the most significant owner the sport has ever seen




Greg Wood The Guardian.co.uk , Tuesday 23 April 2013


Gross, unfathomable stupidity is the defence of last resort against any charge of serious professional wrongdoing, but even Mahmood al-Zarooni seems to realise that it is already the only option he has left.

Eleven horses from a sample of 45 at the yard just outside Newmarket where he trains at least 150 thoroughbreds for Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin operation have tested positive for anabolic steroids. These include Certify, an unbeaten Group One winner at two and a 6-1 chance for the 1,000 Guineas on 5 May, who has been scratched from the classic as a result. This was, Zarooni says, the result of a "catastrophic error" on his part, since "because the horses involved were not racing at the time, I did not realise that what I was doing was in breach of the rules of racing."

Even now, the afternoon after the night before, reaction to the news that one of the most high-profile trainers in Flat racing thought it acceptable to give drugs including stanozolol – Ben Johnson's body-pumper of choice – to his racehorses has not progressed too far beyond wide-eyed, open-mouthed, head-shaking astonishment.

Godolphin's damage-limitation exercise is already under way – Zarooni's biog page on their website has already been deleted – but then, they had a head start, because the British Horseracing Authority alerted Zarooni and his employers to the results of their "testing in training" visit to Moulton Paddocks on 9 April. Most of us are still trying to grasp the idea that a man who had spent his entire working life around horses could make such a hideous and calamitous mistake.

Since Zarooni is not disputing the results of the tests, it will be for the BHA's disciplinary committee to decide whether he is indeed guilty of the most dull-witted incompetence in turf history or whether he is willing to be damned for all time as the most inept trainer to hold a licence, because the truth is even worse.

The case against him, as so often, comes down to the question: ****-up or conspiracy? Is it, in essence, even faintly credible that anyone in charge of any training yard could be unaware that anabolic steroids, the most dangerous and insidious performance-enhancing drugs of them all – are banned under all circumstances?

Zarooni had, after all, been found in breach of the anti-doping rules last year when two horses tested positive for the painkiller propoxyphene. Did it not occur to him that his yard might be under additional scrutiny as a result?

But there are so many other questions too, crowding in from all sides, and some at least are the ones that may remain even when the disciplinary process is complete. Here are just a few.

Assuming that Zarooni was not creeping around the yard after midnight with a rucksack full of syringes, who was helping him? Was a vet – who would fall outside the licensing authority of the BHA – involved, as was the case with Nicky Henderson and the Moonlit Path affair in 2009? And who was supplying the steroids for what was, even if it was inadvertent, such a significant doping programme? Where were the drugs stored and who knew that they were there?

How many other horses have been given steroids at Moulton Paddocks since Zarooni took charge in 2010? Eleven from 45 implies perhaps two dozen more may have had a dose this year alone. And that is only the start.

What about Encke, for instance, who denied Camelot the Triple Crown at Doncaster last September when tens of thousands of spectators and millions of TV viewers were aching for history to be made? Were they all duped by a doper too?

Any Classic winner will be tested, so Encke must have been clean after the Leger. Yet anabolic steroids are such insidious substances that there is now a cloud of doubt over the entirety of Zarooni's relatively brief but very lucrative training career. What about Blue Bunting, surprise winner of the 2011 1,000 Guineas ? And what about Monterosso, another outsider, who won last year's Dubai World Cup? Was he even subject to a post-race test?

Beyond this particular case, there are obvious questions for British racing too. If Zarooni was injecting horses with steroids, either in the belief that it was not against the rules or, alternatively, that he would not get caught, how many other trainers have, or are, labouring under the same misapprehension? Are there trainers, both in Newmarket and elsewhere, who are suspending their own "medication" programmes this morning, at least until the Zarooni case blows over?

If there is a morsel of positivity to be drawn from this scandal, it is that the BHA has caught and charged Zarooni without any regard to his status in the sport or that of his employer, Sheikh Mohammed.

The sheikh is the most significant racehorse owner that the sport has ever seen. His horses, and those of his family, have kept British racing on the road for decades and he is a long-standing member of the Jockey Club.

Yet there has been no attempt to cover anything up, no: "I say, old boy, had some rum results from that yard of yours in Newmarket, if you know what I mean. Might be time to move that Zarooni fella on." That, at least, suggests that any trainer with something to hide is now aware, too, that they are treading a fine line. And it is, of course, another crumb of relief that Certify tested positive for steroids a few weeks before the 1,000 Guineas, and not 24 hours after winning it.

For now, the disciplinary process must be allowed to run its course, while Godolphin, which is estimated to have at least 300 horses stabled in Newmarket alone, will try to dampen the flames of scandal as best it can. But whatever the disciplinary panel decides when it hears Zarooni's case, whether it comes down in favour of conspiracy or ****-up, there is one more question to which we already know the answer: who on earth hired him in the first place?

For Sheikh Mohammed, the news that some of his beloved racehorses, his sporting ambassadors to the rest of the world, have been receiving powerful performance-enhancing drugs is not just deeply embarrassing, it is also destabilising. He is the Crown Prince of Dubai, born to lead, and absolute power demands absolute authority. Losing face, and with it respect, is the worst thing that can happen to an unelected ruler in a volatile part of the world, even a benign, successful and long-established one like the sheikh.

Zarooni has lost the best job he will ever have and terminated his own career in racing, which will probably cost him millions in lost earnings from salary and prize money alone. His name will not appear again on the sport's roll of honour, and many will place a mental asterisk against M al-Zarooni where it appears already.

But his disgrace has also betrayed the trust and support of Sheikh Mohammed, and let loose the idea that, maybe, the man who employed him might just be starting to lose his grip. That, in the final reckoning, may be the mistake that Mahmood al-Zarooni comes to regret most of all.

video: Horse racing commentator 'stunned' by doping news

3rd story down

http://www.itv.com/news/story/2013-04-23/godolphin-trainer-mahmood-al-zaooni-faces-horseracing-authority-disciplinary-panel/

Thommo

the bha etc will sort out zarooni and the boys in blue,but can we now have a trawl through our gravey train media chappies and any articles or quotes form those with their snouts in the gravey boat,that have said british racing is the most straight in the world,be met with some of them falling on their sword,
muscatt,lee,croc,wood,scott,luck will do for starters,

misleading the public gross misconduct for a journo

SKY NEWS ALL OVER IT

Good article from Wood asking all the right questions until he let himself down with his final sentence,

But his disgrace has also betrayed the trust and support of Sheikh Mohammed, and let loose the idea that, maybe, the man who employed him might just be starting to lose his grip. That, in the final reckoning, may be the mistake that Mahmood al-Zarooni comes to regret most of all.

Of course the good Sheikh would never associate himself with such underhand tactics?

Sky News Newsdesk ‏@SkyNewsBreak  23m 
Ladbrokes have refunded £200,000 of bets on horses which tested positive for banned drugs.

Now the story  on Sky is starting to get unbelievable

Sky News Newsdesk ‏@SkyNewsBreak  1m 
Update - Ladbrokes, Coral, Paddy Power and William Hill will refund bets on some horses which tested positive for banned drugs

Find it hard to believe Ceritfy wasnt 4/9 if Lardcrooks claim to have laid it to the tune of 200k ?

Have a look at the yellow 'breaking news' bar on Skynews

Nick Luck on British racing's most serious doping scandal


23 Apr 2013 http://racing.channel4.com


"The single biggest and most significant medication infringement to have hit the sport in this country."

That's how Channel 4 Racing presenter Nick Luck describes Mahmood Al Zarooni's forthcoming British Horseracing Authority (BHA) disciplinary enquiry after 11 horses in his care were found to have tested positive for anabolic steroids.

Al Zarooni is one of two British-based trainers for the global Godolphin racing operation, based at the Moulton Paddocks in Newmarket and has been central to the success of horses like 1000 Guineas winner Blue Bunting, St Leger victor Encke and Monterosso, who landed the world's richest race - the Dubai World Cup - in 2012.

So how badly will this episode affect the sport's reputation?

"Only each individual racing fan can give you the the answer to that," says Luck. "But the reason it's more significant in horse racing than perhaps in other sports is because our sport's funding is entirely contingent on the public - it is the betting public's money that keeps the wheel turning."

Of the 11 horses found to have tested positive for anabolic steroids, one was the unbeaten and Group 1-winning filly Certify, who was due to run in the 1000 Guineas in two weeks' time.

“What people do expect of the BHA is a clear delineation of their existing policies on drug testing - Nick Luck”

However, the BHA has now ruled that the horse can not run in the Classic given the filly's positive sample for prohibited substances. Certify had been a single-figure price for the race.

"The fact that there are people who are going to have lost money on Certify ante-post for the 1000 Guineas is only going to leave a sour taste in the mouth," says Luck.

Al Zarooni admitted he had made a "catastrophic error" and Luck agrees, certainly with regard to the trainer's future.

"Given the fact that Godolphin and Mahmood Al Zarooni are jointly asking us to subscribe to the view that this all the work of one individual, it's almost inconceivable that there's an obvious way back for Al Zarooni," he said.

"This is a developing story, but nobody expects the BHA to comment on procedural matters that may prejudice the ultimate outcome of the enquiry.
 
"What people do expect of the BHA is a clear delineation of their existing policies on drug testing - how this set of positives is gathered, and some sort of visible presence - that is a significant spokesperson - seeking to reassure the racing and betting public that this is not symptomatic of a major or endemic drug problem in horse racing.

"Both the BHA and the defendants in this case will seek to isolate (this incident), but both parties still need to be questioned rigorously and be seen to answer those questions as openly as possible

biggest ever mistake sheik mo did was take his horses from sir henry

maybe the testers could start and do spot checks on stables who have good records improving horses from other stables,geese into swans,

if your an owner--what do you do?

Maybe the testers could start revealing the results of stables they have visited and are clean.

The rise of Mahmood al Zarooni

Geoffrey Riddle   
http://www.thenational.ae
Sep 11, 2010  .

In Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, the protagonist Philip Pirrip ruminates about his first meeting with Miss Havisham, a moment that changes his life forever. Dickens writes: "That was a memorable day to me, for it made great changes in me. But it is the same as any life. Imagine one selected day struck out of it, and think how different its course would have been … think for a moment of the long chain of iron or gold, of thorns or flowers, that would never have bound you, but for the formation of the first link on one memorable day."

For Mahmood al Zarooni, that memorable day occurred when Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, drove into his stables in the lead-up to the Dubai World Cup in March and motioned for the 33-year-old assistant trainer to get into his car. Five months later, al Zarooni recounted the story in his office at Moulton Paddocks in Newmarket. Looking around, there were trophies and pictures of past Godolphin successes, a desk, a table and several chairs, a royal-blue carpet, but nothing personal. It was as if he had just moved in.

"I got in the car with him," al Zarooni said. "I was very scared, and we drove for about a mile, saying nothing. I was just sat there thinking to myself, 'What have I done wrong?' "His Highness turned to me and said, 'Mahmood, I have decided to give you a trainer's licence.' I was in shock, and could barely speak. All I said was, 'Thank you, boss'. "He then outlined what that would mean. It would mean hard work, and would mean that I would have to learn and improve. He did not let me rest one day. He has always been helping me and advising me ever since."

Al Zarooni's first runner came home a winner, Calming Influence capturing the Group 2 Godolphin Mile at Meydan. About four hours later, al Zarooni sent out Allybar to finish third in the Dubai World Cup. It was a remarkable debut. With typical modesty, though, al Zarooni attributed his performance to good fortune. "It was a big night when Calming Influence won," he said. "When he arrived in the yard, I thought he was a good horse, but I never thought he would win on Dubai World Cup night. But the new Tapeta surface helped him, and he liked it, so we were lucky."

Today, as luck would have it, al Zarooni stands on the cusp of his first British Classic victory. The Emirati trainer saddles a leading contender for this afternoon's Group 1 St Leger, the final Classic of the British season. Having overseen Rewilding's final workout in front of Sheikh Mohammed, he was cautious afterwards when discussing his charge's chances in the Doncaster race, first run in 1776.

"I think Rewilding will run a good race, he's got a big chance," he said. "But I'm going to need all the luck. It's not going to be easy. He's got great bloodlines - he's out of Tiger Hill. But Tiger Hill horses generally get better with age. He's only a baby and he's soft, so we treat him like a filly, not like the stallion that he is." Like al Zarooni, Rewilding is a new recruit to the Godolphin fold. The three-year-old colt was formerly handled by the French champion trainer Andre Fabre, whose task it is to sift through his Chantilly stable to unearth horses with the ability to join the Dubai-based operation. In April, Rewilding, Anna Salai, Simon de Montfort and Cutlass Bay were transferred to Newmarket, after which Rewilding won his first race, at Goodwood, by four lengths. From there, al Zarooni thought he had a genuine Derby candidate, but Rewilding and his regular rider, Frankie Dettori, had to settle for third at Epsom behind the impressive Workforce. Goodwood and Epsom are undulating racecourses, however, and on Rewilding's first visit to a more conventional track, he won the Great Voltigeur at York last month by four lengths from Midas Touch, the Irish Derby runner-up.

"York was the first time we saw him on a flat track," al Zarooni said. "Doncaster also has a long straight, which is what he needs. "He would prefer good ground, not firm. You saw in the Derby that Frankie was getting after him at the beginning of the race. I thought they were finished. But when they came into the straight, the ground was better for him, and Rewilding decided to go. So it is the ground more than anything that is the key to him."

Godolphin have won the St Leger five times, and jockeys wearing Sheikh Mohammed's maroon-and-white silks have triumphed in the race three times. Last year Godolphin's Mastery won the 1m6f Classic, beating stablemate Kite Wood. Al Zarooni was at Doncaster 12 months ago to watch that race, and even then the unassuming assistant to Saeed bin Suroor had no idea he was being groomed for an integral role in the Sheikh's racing operation.

"It was the first time I had been there, and I loved it. His Highness at that time was taking me around to show me the racecourses. He took me to Epsom, Ascot, Newmarket and Doncaster. I never knew it was in his mind to make me a trainer." Racing relies on form to contextualize and understand a horse's capabilities. Those who delve into al Zarooni's past will see that his renowned ability to deal with tricky horses was picked up at Ghantoot Stables, in Abu Dhabi, where he joined Rod Simpson's Arabian operation when he was 19.

"Since I was nine years old I liked to ride," he said. "I used to have a group of friends that had horses, and we used to go riding in the desert. It was a hobby. We knew nothing about it at all. I was grooming horses in our private farm at home before I went to Rod, so I knew how to groom a horse, I knew how to put a saddle on, I knew how to put a bridle on, but I didn't know the technical things. I had never sat on a flat-race saddle, for instance.

"Arabians are difficult horses to deal with. They are very smart which makes it not easy, but I learned a lot from Rod." From Simpson's stable, al Zarooni - who was born near Dubai Creek in the Naif area of what is now the Deira side of Dubai - moved to Sharjah to work for champion trainer Ali al Raihe. That is when al Zarooni believes he first gained the notice of Sheikh Mohammed. Dubai's ruler relocated al Raihe to Dubai, first to Metropolitan stables, and then to Grandstand Stables. If Sheikh Mohammed had acted similarly to the Abel Magwitch character out of Great Expectations, in that he helped and watched al Zarooni from afar, it was His Highness who very publicly stepped in two years ago and offered al Zarooni a position with Mubarak bin Shafya, before giving him the position of assistant trainer to bin Suroor last season.

It is often debated what sort of role Sheikh Mohammed plays in the training of thoroughbreds that race under the Godolphin banner, but al Zarooni confers virtually all the responsibility on his employer. "He's my master. He's the one telling me to do this, this, this," he said. "He calls me daily, nearly. He must be so busy. "He runs a whole country, but often he comes here to watch the gallops, sometimes for morning and evening lots.

"It is his idea how to work the horses. What they do exactly, what pace they go and over which distances they run. "He tells me: 'Mahmood feed that horse this, or this horse doesn't look too good', and so on." If the relationship between trainer and owner can sometimes be a difficult one, the absolute nature of Godolphin's management structure makes life relatively straightforward for those working in the operation. They are Sheikh Mohammed's horses and, with the advice of the bloodstock manager John Ferguson and the racing manager Simon Crisford, the Ruler of Dubai also decides the make-up of the equine team that races in his famous colours.

The Maktoum family have horses with trainers all over the world, which in Britain includes John and Ed Dunlop, Michael Jarvis and Mark Johnston, who trains about 100 horses for Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed. Godolphin often cherry-pick the best horses from these trainers, and UAE owners outside the family are always keen to provide talent as tribute to the Dubai leader. "I have no involvement in this. I am here as a trainer, and whatever I get here in the yard, I deal with it. You could say, I've got blinkers on," al Zarooni said, cupping his eyes with his hands.

"His Highness gets all the videos and he watches all the races. He has a really good team to help him identify all of the horses that we buy. "So often though, he just makes up his own mind. He says, 'This is the one. Let's go and get this one.' You must remember that he's got real experience. He's been in this game for 35 years." When Sheikh Mohammed first set up Godolphin, it was considered as an elite force that raided the most prestigious prizes around the world from their dual bases of England and Dubai. To date, they have won at the highest level in 12 countries.

Somewhere along the line there was a shift in emphasis, from small and elite to giant and global, which is partly why al Zarooni was brought in. Godolphin's detractors continue to insist that this approach has resulted in the watering down of the operation's quality: all that effort to send out so many more runners for so little increase in monetary return can seems like a waste of manpower. Al Zarooni revealed the outlook from the inside, however, illustrating that there are other factors at play, such as spreading the name of Dubai, and the UAE as a whole, throughout the world. It is advertising, in a fun, sporting format.

"Godolphin wants to run everywhere," he said, suddenly becoming more serious. We want to measure ourselves abroad against the best to see where we are in the order of things. We want to represent our country and fly our flag everywhere. This is the idea, to put the flag down. In the end, it's all a game." Racing may well be just a game, but somehow that does not mask the fact that ahead of al Zarooni this afternoon lie great expectations.

sports@thenational.ae


Read more: http://www.thenational.ae/sport/uae-sport/the-rise-of-mahmood-al-zarooni#ixz...
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Rod SuimThose who delve into al Zarooni's past will see that his renowned ability to deal with tricky horses was picked up at Ghantoot Stables, in Abu Dhabi, where he joined Rod Simpson's Arabian operation when he was 19

channel 4 news 7.40

Thommo on the case. Nicked big Mac's role as go to man for mainstream media.

Feel sorry for the chap....obviously just a patsy......doesn't sh1t without Sheikh Mohammed's permission.

It is often debated what sort of role Sheikh Mohammed plays in the training of thoroughbreds that race under the Godolphin banner, but al Zarooni confers virtually all the responsibility on his employer. "He's my master. He's the one telling me to do this, this, this," he said. "He calls me daily, nearly. He must be so busy. "He runs a whole country, but often he comes here to watch the gallops, sometimes for morning and evening lots

Reading between the lines it seems improve your performance in GB/Eire or look for another job.

Maybe they will send Zarooni to Australia.....Perfectly legal to inject steroids out of season there apparently.

No surprise there then....

makes you wonder when years back when david lodder was training the two year olds  if they were under the influence

is there snobbery around new market area?

No you can always drop into Sir Marks for tea and cakes around 3.30 no airs or graces...............

How £968 Brighton race inspired a global empire

Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin vision has been tainted by this drugs scandal

When a filly called Hatta, trained by John Dunlop, won the Bevendene Maiden Stakes, worth £968, at Brighton on June 20, 1977 nobody could have foreseen the significance of the result

Marcus Armytage telegraph.co.uk 23 Apr 2013

A young sheikh from the oil-rich United Arab Emirates saw its potential, however, and from this small acorn arose not just a mighty oak, but the biggest racing empire the world has ever seen.

Biggest may not always have equated to most successful, but until this week, the integrity’s of Sheikh Mohammed’s vast Flat racing operation had never been called into question.

This morning, the sport is still struggling to digest how one of the Sheikh’s trainers, Mahmood Al Zarooni, could possibly have thought it was within the Rules of racing to give 11 horses anabolic steroids, four of them testing positive for the same substance Ben Johnson took before winning the 100 metres final at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

It is undoubtedly the biggest scandal of Sheikh Mohammed’s 36-year involvement in British racing, a period during which his horses have won more than 200 Group One races. He has built a friendship with the Queen, to whom he gave three well-bred yearlings in 2009. One of them was Carlton House, who started favourite and finished an unlucky third in the 2011 Derby.

It is impossible to overstate Sheikh Mohammed’s significance. That empire, a central part of his own kingdom in Dubai, now spans four continents, boasts thousands of racehorses, 70 stallions around the globe and over 20,000 acres of prime-studland worldwide. At home in Dubai he built Meydan, the world’s biggest racecourse, in a year against the backdrop of Dubai’s financial crash. It hosts the world’s richest race, the Dubai World Cup.

Just in Newmarket he employs 300 people on his studs and in his pre-training yards alone. If he were ever to withdraw the town would collapse economically, though fewer public trainers there rely on his patronage these days.

After his first success as an owner in that modest race at Brighton, he established the Darley stud and stable, named after one of three legendary founding stallions of the thoroughbred breed.

The Darley operation was not enough, however, and in 1992 he set up Godolphin, named after one of the other founding stallions, to concentrate on training his best horses.

The horses for this elite squad were selected from his own pool with other trainers or bought after high profile successes for other owners, who willingly accepted eye-watering prices. In those days Godolphin, with Frankie Dettori doing the steering, was incredibly successful.

Headed up first by one Dubai national, Saeed Bin Suroor, within three years he had won the Derby with Lammtarra. King Georges and Arc de Triomphes followed. But as the operation grew into a worldwide organisation it became so unwieldy that three years ago Al Zarooni, another Dubai national, was brought in to take some of the strain at Newmarket.

Al Zarooni was reportedly approached by Sheikh Mohammed having impressed in his time as assistant to UAE champion trainer Ali Rashid Al Raihe. He first worked among Arab horses with former British trainer Rod Simpson.

He was quick to make his mark, recording victories in the 1,000 Guineas and Irish Oaks with Blue Bunting, last year’s St Leger with Encke and, perhaps most importantly, the 2012 Dubai World Cup with Monterosso.

But if Al Zarooni’s appointment had until Monday evening seemed a sound one, he will now be remembered as the trainer responsible for the most serious doping incident to be exposed in the sport for a generation.

When compared to Khalid Abdulla’s much smaller Juddmonte operation, which was responsible for breeding and owning Frankel and which has fought well above its weight, it is probably fair to say that in Britain, in recent years, Godolphin has punched a little below its weight. That said it has been Champion owner eight times, including last year.

Life has not always been plain sailing though. A spectacular fall out with John Magnier means Sheikh Mohammed has boycotted Coolmore stallions for the past six years and not using Galileo, widely seen as the best stallion in the northern hemisphere, is viewed as cutting off his nose to spite his face.

At the end of last season he also fell out publicly with Frankie Dettori, the final straw being his riding for Magnier in the Arc, and when the popular jockey returns from his own six-month (recreational) drugs ban next month, Dettori will be riding as a freelance for the first time.

Within the Godolphin operation it has never been quite clear who actually does the training.

In a sport and a town which is awash with rumours, innuendo and petty jealousies at the best of times, some will tell you it is the named trainers themselves, other insist it is done by a committee of advisers and assistants while Sheikh Mohammed is believed to take a hands-on role when in England.

Following Monday’s revelations the BHA will have to find out how far up the chain of command knowledge of steroid use went and how long it has been going on if, as Al Zarooni claims, he did not know it was against the rules.

Operations that size all have in-house vets and Al Zarooni had to get those steroids from somewhere. Where?

The foot soldiers at Darley and Godolphin will regard this as the ultimate betrayal by a senior officer in whom Sheikh Mohammed had placed such trust.

It may be, however, that there is a price to pay if you are one of the world’s most powerful men; there may be no limits to the lengths to which people will go to please you.

employs 300 in newmarket ,hsbc making 3600 redundant in uk, only one losing sleep will be thommo and his gravey train trips to the carnival

jamie osborne ‏@osbornejamie 

I hope that @HHShkMohd hasn't always operated with contempt for our great sport. Our debt of gratitude can easily be eroded by the damage.

did not know steroids was against the rules--ffs

can steroids be used out of racing for specific injuries ?  or is there a blanket ban on them ?

1) Are we really being asked to believe Al Zarooni acted alone at the dead of night with a syringe in his clobber and no one with authority within Godolphin knowing? I mean please come on.

2) Does Sheiky Mohammed still own a % of the Racing Post?

Don't expect them to dwell too long on Ch4 Morning Line or Ch4 racing on Saturday. Dubai at the end of last season decided to sponsor Channel Four Racing for the next 4 years 2013-2014

*2013-2017

http://www.channel4.com/info/press/news/dubai-signs-exclusive-sponsorship-deal-with-c4-for-all-uk-horseracing

13/08/2012

Channel 4 today announces that Dubai has signed a new four-year deal to sponsor all the channel's horseracing coverage, as the network becomes the UK terrestrial home of the sport from 2013 through to 2016.

Dubai will sponsor broadcasts of iconic horseracing events including; Cheltenham Festival, Aintree's three-day John Smith's Grand National meeting, the Investec Derby Festival from Epsom Downs, Royal Ascot, Glorious Goodwood and the entire Flat Season QIPCO British Champions Series and Day as well as long-established coverage of Newbury, York, Chester, Newmarket race meetings and the entire flat season QIPCO British Champions Series.

The deal was brokered by Falcon and Associates and Channel 4.

Dubai has been the official sponsor of Channel 4's racing coverage since 2008.

Channel 4 also confirmed today that IMG Sports Media has won the four-year production rights for the corporation's exclusive horseracing coverage.

Will Oscroft, Marketing Director for Falcon and Associates said: "Dubai has a well-established association with top level thoroughbred horseracing and the continued sponsorship is well placed as Channel 4 becomes the home of racing for the UK. Since 2008 we have seen a growth in viewership and we look forward to working closely with the network to further develop this in the future."

Rupinder Downie, Partnerships Business Manager for Channel 4 said: "I would like to thank Dubai for their continued support. We look forward to developing our excellent working relationship to deliver one of Channel 4's most significant Sports deals."

Ends

About Falcon and Associates:

Falcon and Associates FZ-LLC is an independent strategic advisory and implementation company that was established to deepen the understanding and appreciation of the vision of Dubai both nationally and internationally. Falcon delivers initiatives to help with the long-term strategic positioning of Dubai as part of the UAE, by partnering with businesses and government departments to deliver specific social, economic and trade-related goals.

Goldolphin driving force Sheikh Mohammed served athlete suspension for doping in endurance race

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the driving force behind Godolphin Racing, served a six-month “athlete suspension” in 2009, after a horse he rode tested positive for prohibited substances in endurances races – in which a tough indigenous Arabian breed are usually preferred to the thoroughbreds used in flat racing – in Bahrain and Dubai.

Pippa Cuckson By Pippa Cuckson
11:00PM BST 23 Apr 2013 TELEGRAPH.CO.UK


The discipline, which involves long-distance treks of 100 miles, is the Fédération Equestre Internationale’s fastest-growing sport. However, the increase in popularity has been accompanied by a disproportionate incidence of doping in the Middle East. Endurance has also provided embarrassment for the sheikh’s junior wife, HRH Princess Haya of Jordan. She was elected president of the FEI in 2006 on a ‘clean sport’ mandate, and hired former Metropoliran Police Commissioner Lord Stevens to beef up integrity.

The FEI administers eight disciplines, including the Olympic sports of show jumping, eventing, and dressage, yet endurance accounts for eight of 11 doping cases currently under investigation, seven of which involve Arabic riders, three from the United Arab Emirates. Further, seven UAE riders were disciplined in medication control cases in 2012, six in 2011.

One repeat offender was Mubarak Khalifa Al Shafya, stripped of his FEI Open endurance title in 2008 while manager and trainer at Sheikh Mohammed’s Al Asaafa stable. Mubarak then trained thoroughbred racehorses for the sheikh in Newmarket and Dubai. In 2011, the FEI were concerned that five endurance horses managed by Mubarak had tested positive in the previous two years.

In most equestrian sports, and in endurance in Britain, horses are trained by their regular competition riders. But in the Middle East they are professionally trained, acquainted with their riders only at the competition. Some riders have argued they therefore could not have known their horses were doped, prompting the FEI to extend sanctions to “support personnel” from 2010.

Middle Eastern doping concerns were debated at a FEI open forum in April 2012, where the UAE delegate, Dr Hallvard Sommerseth, said that the apparently above-average stats resulted from the UAE’s extensive national sampling programme, results of which were routinely volunteered to the FEI.

So basically, you take out Rewilding, Monterosso, Capponi, and SYT from 23 starts has 15 wins, 5 2nds, 1 3rd, 6.06 million pounds prizemoney, and 11 G1s.
A failure in France,  subpar 3.5l loss in America, and it starts making a little more sense.

Camelot, wins the Triple Crown promoting his worth exponentially.

So how did Rewilding die? 

You ****s are classic.  Pie on the face.

was hatta trained by Dunlop or by John Benstead at Epsom?

Sheikh Mohammed does not own a share in the Racing Post anymore, to the best of my knowledge.

I remember in the very early 80's the Sheik mo owned most of the population of horse worth anything in the uk,and he could not find winners,once he decided upon the godolphin project suddenly he was having groupwinners everywhere.(it makes you wonder?)

Apr 24, 2013 -- 6:52AM, metro john wrote:

I remember in the very early 80's the Sheik mo owned most of the population of horse worth anything in the uk,and he could not find winners,once he decided upon the godolphin project suddenly he was having groupwinners everywhere.(it makes you wonder?)

Makes me wonder how if he couldn't find a winner, how the horses he owned could be considered horses worth anything?

You have to feel sorry for Ron Harris really.

I mean if they were as bad as they were cheating the only place thy will be able to run and win now is Sellers and Claimers on the AW.

24 Apr 2013 10:00


Notice of a Forthcoming Disciplinary Panel Hearing (Mahmood Al Zarooni)










•Trainer to be charged with multiple breaches of:◦Rule (C)50 (Prohibited Substances - Strict liability of trainers) and/or Rule (C)55 (Prohibited Substances - Positive test of sample taken at training premises)
◦Rule (C)13 (Duty to keep medication records)
◦Rule (A)30 (Conduct prejudicial to horseracing)

•Hearing to be held on Thursday 25th April 2013 at 2:30pm




Licensed trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni has been informed he will be required to attend a Disciplinary Panel hearing on Thursday 25th April at 2:30pm at 75 High Holborn, London, to consider possible breaches of the Rules of Racing as follows:

Rules (C)50 and/or Rule (C)55
Prohibited Substances - Strict liability of trainers
and/or
Prohibited Substances - Positive test of sample taken at training premises

1. Whether breaches of Rule (C)50 and/or Rule (C)55 have been committed by Mahmood Al Zarooni, a Licensed Trainer, by virtue of the samples taken from all or any of the following horses (being horses in the care or control of Mr Al Zarooni) on 9th April 2013 testing positive for the prohibited substance Ethylestranol:

(a) GHOSTFLOWER (IRE)
(b) SWEET ROSE
(c) VALLEY OF QUEENS (IRE)
(d) FAIR HILL
(e) DESERT BLOSSOM (IRE)
(f) CERTIFY (USA)
(g) ORKNEY ISLAND

2. Whether breaches of Rule (C)50 (Prohibited Substances - Strict liability of trainers) and/or Rule (C)55 (Prohibited Substances - Positive test of sample taken at training premises) have been committed by Mahmood Al Zarooni, a Licensed Trainer, by virtue of the samples taken from all or any of the following horses (being horses in the care or control of Mr Al Zarooni) on 9th April 2013 testing positive for the prohibited substance Stanozolol:

(a) OPINION POLL (IRE)
(b) ARTIGIANO (USA)
(c) RESTRAINT OF TRADE (IRE)
(d) BATHRAT AMAL (JPN)

Rule (C)13
Duty to keep medication records

3. Whether Mr Al Zarooni is in breach of Rule (C)13 by virtue of his failure to keep a ‘Record of Treatment’ for all or any of the following (namely the administration of Ethylestranol) which included the information listed in Rules (C)13.2.1 to (C)13.2.6 for such treatment:

(a) GHOSTFLOWER (IRE)
(b) SWEET ROSE
(c) VALLEY OF QUEENS (IRE)
(d) FAIR HILL
(e) DESERT BLOSSOM (IRE)
(f) CERTIFY (USA)
(g) ORKNEY ISLAND
(h) COMITAS
(i) SASHIKO
(j) VACATIONER

4. Whether Mr Al Zarooni is in breach of Rule (C)13 by virtue of his failure to keep a ‘Record of Treatment’ for all or any of the following (namely the administration of Stanozolol) which included the information listed in Rules (C)13.2.1 to 13.2.6 for such treatment:

(a) OPINION POLL (IRE)
(b) ARTIGIANO (USA)
(c) RESTRAINT OF TRADE (IRE)
(d) BATHRAT AMAL (JPN)
(e) TEARLESS

Rule (A)30
Conduct prejudicial to horseracing

5. Whether Mahmood Al Zarooni caused or allowed to be administered Ethylestranol, a prohibited substance, to all or any of the following horses under his care:

(a) GHOSTFLOWER (IRE)
(b) SWEET ROSE
(c) VALLEY OF QUEENS (IRE)
(d) FAIR HILL
(e) DESERT BLOSSOM (IRE)
(f) CERTIFY (USA)
(g) ORKNEY ISLAND
(h) COMITAS
(i) SASHIKO
(j) VACATIONER

and as a result breached Rule (A)30 of the Rules of Racing by acting in a manner that was prejudicial to the integrity, proper conduct and/or good reputation of horseracing in Great Britain.

6. Whether Mahmood Al Zarooni caused or allowed to be administered Stanozolol, a prohibited substance, to all or any of the following horses under his care:

(a) OPINION POLL (IRE)
(b) ARTIGIANO (USA)
(c) RESTRAINT OF TRADE (IRE)
(d) BATHRAT AMAL (JPN)
(e) TEARLESS

and as a result breached Rule (A)30 of the Rules of Racing by acting in a manner that was prejudicial to the integrity, proper conduct and/or good reputation of horseracing in Great Britain.


Notes to Editors:


1. Information provided by Mahmood Al Zarooni to the Investigating Officers has revealed that, in addition to the 11 horses which tested positive and were named on 22nd April, a further four horses were administered one of the two prohibited substances. Those horses are: Comitas, Sashiko, Vacationer (all Ethylestranol) and Tearless (Stanozolol). These horses were under the care of Mr Al Zarooni but had not been subjected to testing.

As these additional horses were not tested and no positive samples exist, no charges are brought under (C)50 and/or (C)55 in relation to them and as such the trainer remains facing the original 11 counts of this charge at this stage. However, it is appropriate to charge the trainer with breaches of the Rules related to medication records and conduct prejudicial to horseracing related to these horses, and therefore the trainer now faces 15 counts of these charges.

2. The Panel for the hearing will be: Matthew Lohn (Chair), Hopper Cavendish and Edward Dorrell.

3. Mahmood Al Zarooni will be represented by Gavin Bacon. The BHA will be represented by Graeme McPherson QC.

4. The hearing will not be open to the media.

5. It remains the BHA's policy that we cannot comment on this ongoing investigation above and beyond formal notices until the hearing has been concluded and results published.

6. Details of the Rules and potential penalties are as follows:

Rules (C)50 and/or Rule (C)55
(C)50: http://rules.britishhorseracing.com/Orders-and-rules&staticID=126634&depth=3
Refer to (C)55

(C)55: http://rules.britishhorseracing.com/Orders-and-rules&staticID=126639&depth=3
Positive sample following Testing in Training
Entry Point: £2,000 or Suspend / Withdraw / Disqualify/ 6 Months
Range: £1,000 - £10,000 or 1 month - 10 years

Rule (C)13: http://rules.britishhorseracing.com/Orders-and-rules&staticID=126597&depth=3
Duty to keep medication records
Entry Point: £500
Range: £250 - £2000

Rule (A)30: http://rules.britishhorseracing.com/Orders-and-rules&staticID=126195&depth=3
Conduct prejudicial to horseracing
Entry Point: £2,000 or Suspend / Withdraw / Disqualify 3 months
Range: £1,000 - £15,000 or 1 month - 3 years

7. Some information regarding the testing of horses in British Racing can be found below:

There are two forms of testing carried out by the BHA in Britain – raceday testing and testing in training.

Raceday Testing

2012:
Number of runners – 90,174
Number of post-race samples – 7,182
Number of positives – 14
Positives as a percentage of runners – 0.19%

2011:
Number of runners – 94,786
Number of post-race samples – 7,619
Number of positives – 13
Positives as a percentage of runners – 0.17%

2010:
Number of runners – 92,025
Number of post-race samples – 7,952
Number of positives – 25
Positives as a percentage of runners – 0.31%

There has been only one other case of anabolic steroids being found in a tested horse in recent years, which was when trainer Howard Johnson allowed horses to run under anabolic steroids in 2008 and 2009. Other positive results invariably involve the use of forms of medication. The use of anabolic steroids is prohibited at all times for any horse registered as 'in training' under the care of a trainer licensed by the BHA.

Testing in Training

Between 600-700 tests were carried out in 2012 as part of the 'testing in training' sampling programme. There could be a number of reasons why a yard could be idenitified for testing in training but we do not disclose the strategy for this.

The average racehorse population in training at any one time was around 14,000 in 2012.





For more information contact:



Robin Mounsey
British Horseracing Authority
t:02071520048
m:07584171551
e: rmounsey@britishhorseracing.com

1. Information provided by Mahmood Al Zarooni to the Investigating Officers has revealed that, in addition to the 11 horses which tested positive and were named on 22nd April, a further four horses were administered one of the two prohibited substances. Those horses are: Comitas, Sashiko, Vacationer (all Ethylestranol) and Tearless (Stanozolol). These horses were under the care of Mr Al Zarooni but had not been subjected to testing ...d'unbelievable

how long do these hearing take?

Hours or days?

Testing in Training

Between 600-700 tests were carried out in 2012 as part of the 'testing in training' sampling programme. There could be a number of reasons why a yard could be idenitified for testing in training but we do not disclose the strategy for this.

The average racehorse population in training at any one time was around 14,000 in 2012.

So considering a horse is in training or racing probably half of its racing career, that number of 14,000 can probably be doubled to 28,000 horses given 14,000 in training at any one time, means probably 14,000 spelling.

700 (highest number of the 2 given), out of 28,000 is less than 2.5% of the horses in the UK actually being tested for drugs.

THAT IS FCUKING CRAZY.  That is clearly enough evidence for all these rubbish Aussie threads, to fcuk right off.


Fact remains, your horses aren't tested, so you can claim whatever high ground you like on drug rules, none of you would have a fcuking clue the extent of this....

NEVER DID TRUST EM IN "LAWRENECE OF ARABIA"

First 8 pages of the racing Post .  .dedicated to a 1/10 shot unbefeckinlievable dont rock the boat

anyone seen the bbc article about doping in East Germany....mental.

The use of steroids can lead to premature deaths due to hardening of the arteries and this is why

it is rightly banned as steroids are for medical purposes only and it is totally wrong to use them

as a form of enhancement...

"prolonged use"

Good job your meds enhance your dire reality.

BjT - He was spending lots on a huge number of horses ,he had them in nearly every stable(success was costly to say the least) He wised up and found the mother superior (according to recent events)

I wonder if he was cheating the entire time he was in business? won a few unique races in his time..

the Arabs like to stick together

At least it is getting dealt with swiftly.

I was expecting it to be heard around about 31 October and a 4 month ban.

Plenty more like Zarooni out there, just a little bit cuter.

it has to be a hefty ban regardless, need to set the trend if they are serious about it

if it was 1 or 2 horses, you could argue something slipped into their food

11? no that's intentional.

in aussie lingo, he's gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawn!

what chance life ban?

Your talking about all the English classic races

Apr 24, 2013 -- 1:39PM, SecondComing wrote:

it has to be a hefty ban regardless, need to set the trend if they are serious about itif it was 1 or 2 horses, you could argue something slipped into their food11? no that's intentional.in aussie lingo, he's gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawn!

Yeah but he hasn't argued, in fact he has thrown up more that he doped, but they don't care because they didn't test those ones so letting him off for those ones.. 

laughable...

zarooni should of taken advice before commenting

he's singing like a canary

is he .... or is he saying what someone wants him to say?

does he think he will get less if he digs himself deeper?

whoever is advising him must be on the jungle juice himself

Surprising that they did not test the horses in the other Godolphin stables.

he's gone the only issue he has now is to save his paymaster

if he acted alone then he's doing it out of remorse

if he did it under instruction then he's taking the hit and someone will be lining his pocket

either way he's finished, just a question as to whether he is a dope or a doper

he's doomed

as an owner would you stay--no chance for me

Godolphin have won the St Leger five times, and jockeys wearing Sheikh Mohammed's maroon-and-white silks have triumphed in the race three times. Last year Godolphin's Mastery won the 1m6f Classic, beating stablemate Kite Wood. Al Zarooni was at Doncaster 12 months ago to watch that race, and even then the unassuming assistant to Saeed bin Suroor had no idea he was being groomed for an integral role in the Sheikh's racing operation.

"It was the first time I had been there, and I loved it. His Highness at that time was taking me around to show me the racecourses. He took me to Epsom, Ascot, Newmarket and Doncaster. I never knew it was in his mind to make me a trainer." Racing relies on form to contextualize and understand a horse's capabilities. Those who delve into al Zarooni's past will see that his renowned ability to deal with tricky horses was picked up at Ghantoot Stables, in Abu Dhabi, where he joined Rod Simpson's Arabian operation when he was 19.

"Since I was nine years old I liked to ride," he said. "I used to have a group of friends that had horses, and we used to go riding in the desert. It was a hobby. We knew nothing about it at all. I was grooming horses in our private farm at home before I went to Rod, so I knew how to groom a horse, I knew how to put a saddle on, I knew how to put a bridle on, but I didn't know the technical things. I had never sat on a flat-race saddle, for instance.

"Arabians are difficult horses to deal with. They are very smart which makes it not easy, but I learned a lot from Rod." From Simpson's stable, al Zarooni - who was born near Dubai Creek in the Naif area of what is now the Deira side of Dubai - moved to Sharjah to work for champion trainer Ali al Raihe. That is when al Zarooni believes he first gained the notice of Sheikh Mohammed. Dubai's ruler relocated al Raihe to Dubai, first to Metropolitan stables, and then to Grandstand Stables. If Sheikh Mohammed had acted similarly to the Abel Magwitch character out of Great Expectations, in that he helped and watched al Zarooni from afar, it was His Highness who very publicly stepped in two years ago and offered al Zarooni a position with Mubarak bin Shafya, before giving him the position of assistant trainer to bin Suroor last season.

It is often debated what sort of role Sheikh Mohammed plays in the training of thoroughbreds that race under the Godolphin banner, but al Zarooni confers virtually all the responsibility on his employer. "He's my master. He's the one telling me to do this, this, this," he said. "He calls me daily, nearly. He must be so busy. "He runs a whole country, but often he comes here to watch the gallops, sometimes for morning and evening lots

"He's my master. He's the one telling me to do this, this, this," he said.

is Dubai the country---massively in debt

Seems vets are the only ones making money

He should never be allowed to train horses again (world-wide)
Sheikh Mo will no doubt sack him in disgrace, no matter what the out-come.