The long, interrupted story of Philip Fenton and the raid on his training stable in January 2012 that revealed banned animal medicines, including anabolic steroids, will take another step forward in County Tipperary on Thursday when the case moves to a full trial.
Fenton will appear at Carrick-on-Suir district court nearly three years after vets from Ireland’s ministry of agriculture reported finding substances at his yard including 1kg of the drug Nitrotain, which contains ethylestrenol, a banned anabolic steroid. Other drugs alleged to have been found in smaller quantities during the raid include stanozolol, also an anabolic steroid, and a counterfeit antibiotic.
Nitrotain is designed primarily for use on female horses and geldings to promote muscle growth and wellbeing, and will normally clear a horse’s system in a few days. It was used by the disgraced former trainer Mahmood al-Zarooni to improve the performance of horses in his Newmarket stable during the Godolphin doping scandal in the spring of 2013.
Fenton is a former amateur rider who has pursued a successful career as a trainer since 2004, with big-race victories including Dunguib’s easy success in the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham in 2008. He also saddled Last Instalment to win the Hennessy Gold Cup at Leopardstown in February this year, and took the Grade One Royal Bond Novice Hurdle with Dunguib in 2009 and The Tullow Tank earlier this year.
The raid at his yard, and the substances allegedly found there, did not become public until shortly before this year’s Cheltenham Festival in March, at which he saddled three horses, including Last Instalment in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. All three were required to pass dope tests administered by the British Horseracing Authority before they were allowed to compete, but The Tullow Tank was withdrawn from his intended engagement in one of the Festival’s novice hurdles by his owner Barry Connell, after news of the raid emerged. The horse has since joined Dessie Hughes.
The Irish Turf Club, the sport’s regulator in Ireland, has yet to say what action it intends to take against Fenton, if any, pending the outcome of the legal process.
Earlier this month, the trainer Pat Hughes was fined €2,500 and told to pay €5,600 in costs after he was found guilty of possessing unauthorised animal medicines including stanozolol. Following the verdict, the Turf Club said that it would “discuss” the case and its implications.
An 18-strong British raiding party will travel to the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita next week with the Richard Hannon-trained Toronado, quoted at 2-1 for the Mile, perhaps the horse with the brightest chance of landing one of the prestigious prizes on offer.
Sir Michael Stoute’s pair Telescope (entered in the Turf) and Dank (bidding for a second success in the Filly & Mare Turf) were others to catch the eye when the entries were announced for the meeting on Wednesday.
“Stoutey was keen [on this race] after the Juddmonte, where [Telescope] ran very well, but the mile and a quarter’s not his bag,” said Harry Herbert, the racing manager to owners Highclere Thoroughbred Racing. “He’s going back up to a mile and a half and he will love those conditions. The plan was conceived in August, and those that have been targeted for it and are fresher tend to do better.”
Sir Alex Ferguson is a part of the Telescope syndicate and the former Manchester United manager is expected to cheer on the horse in California. “That’s the plan, he’s very much hoping to go,” said Herbert.
Magician will lead the assault from the powerful Aidan O’Brien yard as the colt bids to win the Turf for the second year running.
Ryan Moore was in the saddle when Magician defeated The Fugue at Santa Anita last year but O’Brien’s son, Joseph, is set to be in the saddle on Saturday week.
Connections have had this race in mind for Magician following his second place in the Arlington Million in August. “He’s in good form. He ran well in Arlington and after that we decided to keep him for this. It’s so far so good,” O’Brien said. “We’ve had to sometimes run him in bad ground over here but fast ground is what he likes. He’s been second in three Group Ones this season and we’ve freshened him up for this.”
