William Carson, the grandson of the Derby-winning jockey Willie, faces a six-month ban from the saddle after becoming the fourth jockey this year to return a positive test for a metabolite of cocaine.
Carson, 29, has ridden nearly 500 winners in a 14-year racing career, with his most valuable success coming in the Ayr Gold Cup Handicap in 2008 on Regal Parade. He also took the Group Three Autumn Stakes at Newmarket on Best Solution in October 2016.
However, he has not ridden in public since 1 April, five days after he provided a sample during racing at Lingfield Park that later tested positive for benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine. His most recent ride in 2019 was only his 18th mount of the year, none of which were successful.
The reason behind his extended absence is now apparent, as the British Horseracing Authority moves to suspend a rider’s licence following a positive test until the case can be heard by its disciplinary panel. If there are no aggravating or mitigating factors, a six-month “entry point” ban will be backdated to the start of Carson’s interim suspension. That means he could return to the saddle within the next few weeks.
Two of the three jockeys to test positive for cocaine earlier in 2019 have already returned to action. Callum Rodriguez and Kevin Lundie, who both provided positive samples during racing at Southwell on 27 February, returned on 7 September and 24 September respectively, while the amateur rider Peter Bryan, who was tested after riding in a hunter chase at Perth on 25 April, is still serving his suspension.
Perth 1.30 Guardia Top 2.00 Pat’s Oscar 2.35 Road To Dubai 3.10 Wholestone 3.45 Birch Vale 4.20 Chanceiton 4.50 Chocolat Noir
Newmarket 1.50 Mascat 2.25 Cloud Drift (nb) 3.00 Molls Memory 3.35 Oh Purple Reign 4.10 Withhold 4.45 Persian Sun 5.20 Top Rank (nap) 5.50 Voice Of Calm
Pontefract 2.15 Alben Spirit 2.50 Walkonby 3.25 Baby Steps 4.00 Ayutthaya 4.35 Max Vega 5.05 Prestbury Park 5.40 Maiden Voyage
Chelmsford 4.55 Winklemann 5.30 Tavener 6.00 Cobber Kain 6.30 Prince Rock 7.00 Consequences 7.30 Universal Effect 8.00 Clem A 8.30 Bollihope
Southwell 5.15 Big Boris 5.45 Royal Context 6.15 Bluella 6.45 Land Of Winter 7.15 Knockacullion 7.45 Colwood 8.15 Queen of Kalahari
Tips by Greg Wood
The news of Carson’s failed test means 2019 is now a record year for cocaine positives in Britain, overtaking 2015, when three riders were caught using the drug. There were two positives in 2016 and 2017, one in 2018 and only one between 2009 and 2014.
A rash of cocaine positives in Ireland in recent years prompted the Irish Horseracing Board to increase its standard penalty for the offence to a five-year ban from early 2019. The BHA said at the time that Dr Jerry Hill, its chief medical adviser, would conduct an “overall review of the anti-doping education programme” in 2019, but added the regulator had “no immediate plans” to change its penalty structure “off the back of the Irish announcement”.