A race horse owned by Queen Elizabeth II that won the prestigious Gold Cup last year, has tested positive for a banned substance, Buckingham Palace has announced. Estimate, a five-year-old mare trained by Michael Stoute, is one of five horses understood to have recorded a positive test for morphine.
The palace said they believed the morphine had come via consumption of a contaminated feed product. The horse saw the Queen become the first reigning monarch to win Royal Ascot’s Gold Cup. In this year’s race, Estimate came second to the winner Leading Light. The Queen has been informed following an announcement by the British Horseracing Authority last Thursday, according to John Warren, the Queen’s Bloodstock and Racing Advisor. ‘On 17 July, British Horseracing Authority announced a number of post-race samples, obtained from recent race meetings, had been found to indicate the presence of morphine. Five horses, under the care of various trainers, were affected,’ Warren was quoted by The Guardian as saying.
The palace said they believed the morphine had come via consumption of a contaminated feed product. The horse saw the Queen become the first reigning monarch to win Royal Ascot’s Gold Cup. In this year’s race, Estimate came second to the winner Leading Light. The Queen has been informed following an announcement by the British Horseracing Authority last Thursday, according to John Warren, the Queen’s Bloodstock and Racing Advisor. ‘On 17 July, British Horseracing Authority announced a number of post-race samples, obtained from recent race meetings, had been found to indicate the presence of morphine. Five horses, under the care of various trainers, were affected,’ Warren was quoted by The Guardian as saying.