British trainer banned five years for steroids

British-based trainer Gerard Butler has been banned from racing for five

years by the British Horseracing Authority after admitting to seven breaches of

the rules of racing stemming from his administration of medications containing

the anabolic steroid stanozolol to nine horses in his care late last year.

In five of the nine cases, the drug in question was Sungate, and was

administered by veterinarians. It was revealed during Butler's disciplinary

hearing on November 18-19 that in the other four cases a drug called Rexogin,

which contained stanozolol at 10 times the concentration of Sungate and is not

approved for use in horses, was used, and was obtained and administered by

Butler himself.

The situation first came to light in late February, when a visit to Butler's

yard by the BHA yielded one positive test for stanozolol. Butler later admitted

he had administered stanozolol to other horses in his care on the understanding

from veterinarians that the substance did not breach the rules. Butler's seven

charges surrounded his administration of the treatments himself, a practice that

is restricted to licensed veterinarians, failing to keep adequate records, and

"acting in a manner prejudicial to the integrity, proper conduct, and/or good

reputation of horse racing in Great Britain, failure to act with due regard to

the interest of horses under his care, and failure to take all reasonable steps

to ensure the safety and welfare of horses under his care."

Adam Brickell, Director of Integrity, Legal and Risk for the BHA, said: "BHA's

position, which was upheld by the Disciplinary Panel, was that the most serious

charges related to Gerard Butler's gross failure to look after the best

interests of four horses in his care, which amounted to conduct that was

seriously prejudicial to the integrity, proper conduct and good reputation of

the sport. The gravity of the breaches of the Rules of Racing escalated when, in

the course of cross-examination during the Disciplinary Panel hearing, Gerard

Butler finally provided evidence as to where he had purchased the drug in

question from, and admitted that the product he had administered himself to four

horses was not the equine veterinary product Sungate, but instead an unlicensed

stanozolol-based product called Rexogin, manufactured for use in humans.

Furthermore, the Panel accepted that Butler had administered this product by

intra-articular injection using a method restricted by law to qualified

veterinary surgeons.

"The Panel also pointed to the fact that Butler took no veterinary advice

before carrying out these procedures, did not have the horses properly assessed

prior to their treatment, made no recording in his medication records of having

injected the horses and that he subsequently allowed the horses to be treated by

veterinary surgeons without informing them of the prior administrations.

Furthermore, they noted that it is not appropriate for a trainer to say he is

able to undertake an invasive veterinary procedure on the basis that he had seen

veterinary surgeons performing the procedure, that he created unnecessary risks

for the horses in obtaining the drug from an unlicensed source and that his

behavior in administering the injections was consistent with the underhand and

covert manner in which he purchased the drug.

"Taking this all into account, the Panel summarized that the actions of

Butler represented 'an appalling breach of his duty to look after the interests

of the horses in his care, and amounted to conduct that was seriously

prejudicial to the integrity, proper conduct and good reputation of horse racing

in Great Britain.'

"The charges also related to five other positive samples taken from horses

which were administered Sungate on the advice of and by a veterinary surgeon.

The Rules are clear that the license holder, in this case Gerard Butler, is

wholly responsible for the presence of prohibited substances in horses in his

care and control. However, it remains of concern to BHA that a practicing vet

regularly treating racehorses, and therefore presumably familiar with the Rules,

should have recommended and administered such a product to a horse in a

trainer's care or control.

“This is an area we are continuing to explore and consult on with a view to

strengthening our position. If the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons chooses

to follow up on this specific matter we would assist as required, as we have

done on previous occasions."

The 47-year-old Butler began training in 1998 after stints as assistant to

Colin Hayes in Australia, D. Wayne Lukas in the U.S. and John Dunlop in the U.K.

He recorded his most important victory in his second season when garnering the

Eclipse Stakes at Sandown with Compton Admiral.

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