Queen’s racehorse tests positive for morphine

A horse owned by the Queen has tested positive for the banned substance morphine.

Contaminated feed

Estimate, who is trained by Sir Michael Stoute, is one of five horses to test positive for the drug, which is allowed as a medication but not on raceday.

“Initial indications are that the positive test resulted from the consumption of a contaminated feed product,” said John Warren, the Queen’s bloodstock and racing advisor.

“Sir Michael is working closely with the feed company involved to discover how the product may have become contaminated prior to delivery to his stables.”

Destroyed stock

The company thought to be behind the contaminated foodstuff is Dodson and Horrell, which has supplied feed to the Queen since 1985. It issued a statement saying it had been informed by some of its suppliers of a “possible component contamination” and has since destroyed all its stock of Alfalfa Oil Plus.

“From information currently available to us it appears that any contamination may have come from poppy seeds that occur naturally in the environment. Please note this does not affect the welfare of the animal,” said a company spokesman in an official statement.

Estimate has had four wins out of nine races – one of which was the Gold Cup in June 2013, making her the first horse owned by a reigning monarch to win the title.

Loss of winnings

The five-year-old mare came second this year at Ascot this year, which was when she produced the positive sample.

If the test is confirmed by the British Horseracing Authority, Estimate will be lose her placing and the £80,625 prizemoney. According to the Racing Post, the mare will still run at Goodwood next week.