Willie Mullins Fined and Horse Disqualified After Doping Incident

Trainer Willie Mullins has been fined and his horse Final Demand disqualified from a race at the Cheltenham Festival after testing positive for a prohibited substance. The incident occurred during the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase on March 11, where Final Demand finished second.

The British Horseracing Authority's disciplinary panel found that Final Demand had mepivacaine, a local anaesthetic, in its system. Mullins did not declare the use of this substance on the horse's medical forms prior to the race. Although expert evidence indicated that the substance was administered close to the time of sampling, the investigation could not determine how it occurred, as reasonable precautions were in place at the stable.

During the investigation, it was revealed that CCTV footage from the stable had been misplaced, which is a requirement for racecourses to retain. However, the panel noted that this should not be overstated, as the horse had been moved to a different yard at the time of the incident. Cheltenham racecourse was fined £5,000 for this breach of rules.