Norton banned for four months

Jockey Francis Norton was suspended for four months today after a Jockey Club disciplinary hearing into a failed drugs test.

Norton, who failed the test on September 26, 2002, had claimed that the positive result was caused by a herbal tea drink.

His urine sample was found to contain benzoylecgonine, a diagnostic metabolite of cocaine, which is a banned substance.

Norton, 33, had been visited at home by a team from UK Sport, who were undertaking racing’s testing at the time.

Today’s hearing at Portman Square lasted some four hours.