New anti-doping saliva and sweat testing pilot introduced by BHA after last year's false positive error

The BHA announced on Friday that a new anti-doping saliva and sweat testing pilot will begin this month after the previous scheme was stopped due to a costly false-positive.

Sean Levey was banned for eight days and missed out on potentially winning £20,000 for being the Racing League’s leading rider after a test conducted at Sandown in September of last year showed non-negative for traces of amphetamines.

However, Levey maintained his innocence and when a more rigorous laboratory examination of a urine sample taken the day after Sandown showed no signs of any prohibited substances he was cleared and the BHA suspended the pilot.

Sean Levey: previous pilot was suspended following his false positive last yearCredit: Mark Cranham (racingpost.com/photos)

A number of changes have been made after a comprehensive review of the testing process and the new pilot will use a different, Home Office-approved testing kit.

It is used by police to conduct roadside screening, as well as for other employee drug testing, takes a sample in less than 60 seconds and provides a result in five minutes.

If a positive sample is provided, a second screening is undertaken, with the jockey free to weigh out in the event this returns a negative result.

If it is non-negative, the rider will be stood down from riding that day and a urine sample taken. If the urine test confirms the presence of a prohibited drug, the jockey will follow the usual process for a positive drugs test.

Tim Naylor, BHA director of integrity and regulatory operations, said: “I am pleased to be able to confirm the start of a new oral fluid testing pilot and would like to thank jockeys for their engagement with the process that has allowed us to reach this point.

“Keeping racing safe, clean and fair is our number-one priority, and this testing provides us with an opportunity to not only protect the welfare of our human participants, but also the horses taking part in races, as well as the integrity of those races for all participants and bettors.”

Read more . . .

'I'm glad it's all over' - BHA clears Sean Levey of taking prohibited substance after 'non-negative' saliva test at Sandown 

Raceday saliva testing paused by BHA after Sean Levey's false positive result 

'It makes me look incompetent' - trainer blasts BHA as runner is withdrawn due to issue with shoe dispensation 

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