Latest news with #John Gosden
The Sun
6 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Like buying money – The two odds-on ‘steering jobs' tipped to leave bookies in tears at Glorious Goodwood
ANTE-POST punting is a dangerous road littered with torn betslips and shattered dreams. But every now and then a seemingly golden opportunity presents itself. 1 Too good to be true? Maybe. But unless you take the plunge you'll never know. Punters who like to smash into favourites at very short prices will often talk about the notion of 'buying money'. It doesn't always work. Just this week we saw 2-13 Royal Ascot runner-up Thesecretadversary beaten by a 28-1 outsider. But you'd hope there would be fewer chances for things to go so seismically wrong in Group 1s. And that's where John Gosden's Field Of Gold and Aidan O'Brien's Illinois come in. Both are currently odds-on for their respective races at next week's Glorious Goodwood. Field Of Gold, who perhaps should have won the 2,000 Guineas, and definitely did win the Irish 2,000 Guineas and St James's Palace Stakes, is a best-price 1-2 to win the Sussex Stakes next Wednesday. His big market rival - and second-fav - Rosallion was a big drifter on the Betfair Exchange and could be sent elsewhere. Illinois was second to Trawlerman in last month's Ascot Gold Cup. But he is a proven Group-level performer - albeit he has always come up short in Group 1s - and last finished outside the top two in April 2024 - NINE races ago. He is a best-price 8-11 to win the 2m feature next Tuesday. There is a chance O'Brien could run recent brilliant Newmarket scorer Scandinavia instead. But this looks a golden opportunity for Illinois to get his Group 1, with 4-1 second-fav French Master moving up from handicaps. Backing shorties in a double like this wouldn't be my go-to method of punting. But if you put the pair together now you'd still get better than evens, with a £20 punt returning £48.44 with Ladbrokes. Buying money? Like everything, it comes with its risks... Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. Remember to gamble responsibly A responsible gambler is someone who:
The Sun
15-07-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
John Gosden fined after yard worker who took ketamine three days a week contaminated horses including ‘the new Enable'
TRAINER John Gosden has been fined after a yard worker who took ketamine three days a week made one of his horses - who punters dubbed 'the new Enable' - fail a drugs test following her debut win. Iconic handler Gosden and his son Thady have been fined £3,000 by the BHA after two of their horses tested positive for the banned substance. 2 2 Zilfee, a half-sister to the awesome Arc, King George, Oaks and Breeders' Cup Turf-winning Enable, was first past the post on debut at Kempton in June last year. But after testing positive for the powerful hallucinogenic, the Juddmonte-owned filly's debut victory has been sensationally scrubbed from the record books and her prize money of almost £4,000 must be returned. A BHA Disciplinary Panel also found another Gosden-trained horse, Morrophore, had tested positive for ketamine. The findings came about after a yard worker - Person A - said they used the drug three times a week 'recreationally'. The worker had direct care for Morrophore, who failed a test after finishing sixth at Yarmouth last July. But another yard worker who looked after Zilfee claimed that horse tested positive for ketamine after they used Person A's kitbag on the day in question. An investigation by the BHA summarised in the fast-track hearing read: "Person A was employed by the Gosdens from October 2023 to August 2024. Background to the case The admitted breaches of the Rules of Racing in respect of Rule (K)2.2 are in respect of the presence of Ketamine (and its metabolites), a Prohibited Substance, in a post-race urine sample taken from the horse ZILFEE (GB) after being placed first in the Unibet/EBF Maiden Fillies Stakes (GBB Race) at Kempton Racecourse on 12 June 2024 and in a post-race urine sample taken from the horse MORROPHORE (FR) after racing at Yarmouth Racecourse on 10 July 2024. An out-of-competition sample was taken from ZILFEE (GB) on 10 July 2024. The hair sample demonstrated likely multiple low-level exposures to Ketamine over many months. An out-of-competition sample was taken from MORROPHORE (FR) on 6 August 2024. The hair and urine samples demonstrated prolonged exposure to Ketamine. Rule (K)2.2 states that Prior to leaving the Racecourse, no Category B Prohibited Substance is present in their horse's body on a day on which it is engaged to run in a Race. Pursuant to the Prohibited List Code, Ketamine is a Category B Prohibited Substance, prohibited on race day. "She admitted recreational ketamine use approximately three times per week whilst not at work. "Person A had direct care for and rode MORROPHORE (FR). "Person A took MORROPHORE (FR) to Great Yarmouth on 10 July 2024. "Person A did not have direct care of ZILFEE (GB) but the horse's groom had used Person A's kit bag at the racecourse on 12 June 2024. "Person A denied any direct administration of ketamine and believed that there was cross contamination as a result of the fact that she not always washing her hands before coming to work. "She admitted that she had been taken through the induction procedure. "This included the Substance Misuse Policy which emphasised the need to avoid cross contamination." The BHA conducted an inspection of the famed Gosden Clarehaven yard in July and August 2024. Hair samples, swabs and bedding samples were taken from four further horses and all hair samples contained ketamine. The father-son duo were interviewed in January this year having already brought random drug and alcohol testing of staff into force. In the Disciplinary Panel 'assessment of penalty' report, it was deemed 'neither John nor Thady had knowledge of the administration and the yard had a number of reasonable and targeted precautions'. In a statement, the Gosdens said: "We remain committed to the highest standards of care and integrity in our operations and are taking every possible step to avoid any recurrence." Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. Remember to gamble responsibly A responsible gambler is someone who:
