Appeal board upholds Be My Royal verdict

Trainer Willie Mullins has lost his appeal against the disqualification of 2002 Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup winner Be My Royal.

The horse was originally disqualified by the Jockey Club’s disciplinary panel at a two-day hearing in January after the horse failed a post-race drugs test for morphine.

A contaminated food supply was found to be the source of the drug and although Mullins was not fined, he was ordered to pay £5,000 (€7,414) in legal costs and Be My Royal was stripped of his victory in the Newbury race.

The Irish trainer took the case to the Jockey Club appeal board at a two-day hearing last month. Today the board announced it had upheld the original decision.

The appeal board, consisting of independent chairman Sir Edward Cazalet, Christopher Hall and Anthony Mildmay-White, explained the “decisions and reasons” in a 52-page document.

Cazalet concluded the Board’s findings by saying: “We dismiss this appeal. In doing so we wish to say that we do have sympathy for the position of those connected both with this race and other like races.

“Nevertheless, we hope that we have made clear in our reasons why, in the circumstances, disqualification of the horse must follow.”