Pumped full of drugs and other banned substances: winning racehorse banned for one year

class=”sc-29f61514-0 fwWrRV”>

In a brilliant final sprint, the six-year-old mare Halina Jibay overtook nine horses during a harness race in Malta in early October and took victory on the 2140-metre long Marsa circuit. However, the race commissioners became suspicious. During the first tests, residues of banned substances were found in the racehorse’s nostrils.

Therefore, a urine sample was sent to an independent laboratory in France that is well-known and respected in the running scene. The assessments are shocking: Halina Jibay was pumped full of cocaine, methamphetamine, ketamine and steroids. A serious violation of the rules that also requires reporting to the police, because simply possessing these substances is illegal.

Owners with ridiculous fines

The administration of cocaine and methamphetamine during a race is particularly dangerous for the horse, as it greatly increases heart rate and blood pressure, which in the worst case can lead to a fatal heart attack. At the same time, ketamine is said to have a pain-relieving and calming effect. And the steroids, an anabolic substance, are intended to improve performance.

The punishment: the French mare is not allowed to race for a year. The owner, whose name has not yet been released, will be suspended for two years. He was also fined the lowest possible fine of R340 for breaching the rules. The jockey, on the other hand, has not been charged with anything, but he – like the owner – will be questioned about the offense in the coming days.

Halina Jibay entered the major horse racing podium in 2022 and won no fewer than 21 races.

Source : Blick