By: James Burn
Bedrock, who created a surprise when downing Samcro at Down Royal in November, missed a rematch with the one-time potential superstar in Saturday’s Ryanair Hurdle at Leopardstown because he was not clear of medication that is prohibited on racedays.
Trainer Iain Jardine on Monday issued a statement via the National Trainers Federation outlining the circumstances around Bedrock’s withdrawal, which was in response to a story that his new owners were unhappy he had not been able to run in the €125,000 Grade 1.
The article in The Sun also indicated Bedrock, who now runs in the colours of US jump racing fanatic Irvin Naylor, would continue his career Stateside, which had been the long-term plan.
It seems he has run his last race for Jardine, who confirmed his vet had injected the son of Fastnet Rock with a corticosteroid, a legitimate treatment for joint injuries but one that must not be in a horse’s system on racedays.
The trainer, based near Dumfries, was not satisfied the treatment had left Bedrock’s system so asked the BHA to test the eight-time winner, who produced a positive sample, leading to his withdrawal.
The BHA issued its own statement, which supported Jardine.
It said: “Corticosteroids are legitimate substances and permitted for use on horses in training, but, as with all substances that might have an effect on a horse’s body systems, cannot be present in a horse’s system on raceday. As such the trainer took the correct course of action in ensuring the horse was electively tested prior to the race.
“Elective testing is available, subject to BHA approval, to trainers in circumstances such as this where a medication with a potentially unpredictable detection window, which is permitted for use out of competition, has been administered for legitimate therapeutic purposes.”
