BHA drug testing procedures: setting the record straight

In his column of February 1, Stuart Riley wrote a piece headed ‘Why BHA needs to address potential loophole’.

This article was based on a premise that the BHA had decided to skew our testing policy more towards in-competition testing rather than out-of-competition testing in 2017, and that a loophole exists whereby a trainer can permissibly administer any substances (which are not prohibited at all times) to a horse in training – with
the view to creating a performance-enhancing effect – with impunity, as long as the horse is free of those substances on raceday.

Both of these suggestions are incorrect.