The top Newmarket yard of John and Thady Gosden has been fined £3,000 after the BHA found two of their horses tested positive for the banned substance ketamine – which a stable girl has since admitted bringing into the yard.
Two Gosden Horses Tested Positive For Ketamine Last Summer (2024)
The BHA have revealed that the father and son training combo of John and Thady Gosden have been fined £3,000 after two horses were found to have ketamine in the systems.
These findings were from some ‘out-of-competition’ testing at Gosden’s Clarehaven stables last summer in July and August 2024.
The positive results are reported to have come from a cross-contamination from a stable girl that is said to be a user of the drug ketamine.
In responding to the fine, the Gosden’s said “we remain committed to the highest standards of care and integrity in their operations and are taking every possible step to avoid any recurrence”.
The horses that were found to have the banned substance in their systems were Enable’s half-sister Zilfee and a Kingman filly Morrophore.
Since the samples were taken Morrophore has raced three times – winning twice, with the last of those a recent easy win at Ascot in May 25.
While Zilfee hasn’t been seen since winning on debut by a short-head at Kempton back in May 24.
The BHA added that a hair sample from Zilfee was “likely multiple low-level exposures to ketamine over many months”, while hair and urine samples from Morrophore “demonstrated prolonged exposure to ketamine”.
Gosden Stable Girl Admitted Using Ketamine
The Gosden stable girl that has admitted using ketamine also looked after Morrophore and had contact with Zilfee on the day she was tested.
Which led to the cross-contamination and the positive samples.
It’s also been reported that the BHA disciplinary team concluded that John and Thady Gosden had no prior knowledge of the ketamine being in their yard.
The stable girl has since left Clarehaven stables voluntary back in August 2024.
This season the Gosden yard have been in flying form with capped by being crowed top stable at Royal Ascot 2025 with five wins.
One one those wins came with their classy Kingman colt Field Of Gold in the St James’s Palace Stakes.
This improving grey is expected to be next in action in the Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood on Wednesday 30th July, where he’s the odds-on favourite with the main horse racing betting sites.
Not The First Time John Gosden Has Had Horses Test Positive For Ketamine
Horse racing fans might also remember the Gosden yard coming under the spotlight for their horses being tested positive for ketamine.
Rewind back to 2021 and the top trainer was handed a £500 slap on the wrist after a post-race sample was positive the previous year.
This was also said to have come from another cross-contamination from the horse’s groom on race day – the same day the horse was tested.
As a result, the Gosden camp have said that since 2020 they put in place regular monthly drug and alcohol tests on their staff. However, this latest fine has clearly slipped through this testing process which is sure to lead to the yard further tightening up their procedures.
Gosden’s Solicitor’s (Dutton Gregory) Responded To The Recent Fine
“The horses tested positive for a minute trace amount of ketamine, but it is important that the context of this matter is properly understood. The source of the contamination was a former member of stable staff who had been using ketamine recreationally.
“It’s important to understand that the stables do not hold or administer ketamine on-site. Ketamine is a sedative, not a performance-enhancing drug. It’s used by veterinary surgeons as an anaesthetic but is also ubiquitous among recreational drug users.
“Prior to this incident, Clarehaven Stables already maintained strict protocols around contamination and welfare. These have since been reviewed and strengthened further. While no system can guarantee complete prevention in every circumstance, Mr John Gosden and Mr Thady Gosden remain committed to the highest standards of care and integrity in their operations and are taking every possible step to avoid any recurrence.”
What Is Ketamine?
Ketamine is a drug that is a dissociative anesthetic that has some hallucinogenic effects – which is why it’s obvious finding it in a horse’s system can prove dangerous.
With racehorses running over 40mph, then having a drug that reduces sensations in their body and also distorts vision and hearing could lead to serious injury in a race for the horse, other horses and jockeys.
Ketamine is also a drug that makes the user feel dream-like and is also often used for both humans and animals as a sedative for minor surgery as an anesthetic.
