Second Irish jockey fails drug test

Racing: The classic-winning rider Warren O'Connor became the second Irish jockey this week to fail a drugs test when he was found guilty at a Turf Club hearing yesterday of testing positive for cocaine.

O'Connor (38), winner of the Irish 1,000 Guineas in 1991 on board Kooyonga, retired from race-riding in September when he revealed that he was suffering from Crohn's Disease, a chronic inflammatory disease of the digestive system.

But a urine sample taken from the jockey on May 27th this year, Irish 2,000 Guineas day at the Curragh, was found to contain traces of a metabolite of cocaine.

Yesterday, the Turf Club's referrals committee ordered that the jockey pay €10,000 towards the regulatory body's legal costs, and also ordered that any application for a renewed jockeys licence should not be heard until October of next year at the earliest.

Earlier this week, Kieren Fallon was banned for six months by the French racing authorities after testing positive for cocaine at Chantilly last July.

"It's a sad week for racing, and an even sadder week for the two jockeys involved," said Turf Club chief executive Denis Egan yesterday. "It's very disappointing to have a first positive test in Ireland. Testing began here in May of 2003, and between 65 and 75 tests are taken every year. Up to now, all have been negative."

O'Connor, who is originally from Wexford, was one of the most successful young riders in Ireland in the early 1990s and his association with trainer Michael Kauntze included the top-class filly Kooyonga.

Her list of victories included the 1992 Eclipse Stakes at Sandown, but the filly's biggest success was in the 1991 Irish Guineas when Lester Piggott turned down the ride and O'Connor stepped in for a famous win.

Other good horses he rode included the 1993 Epsom Oaks runner-up Royal Ballerina.

But, when opportunities started to dry up at home, O'Connor rode abroad. He spent two years in Germany, where he had 57 winners, and was also successful in the UAE.

When announcing his retirement in September, O'Connor said: "I've paid the penalty for the wasting over the years and all the hardship and abuse I gave my stomach."

The testing of O'Connor's sample was carried out at the Kings College London's drug control centre, with the A sample tested on June 12th and the B sample tested on October 26th.

The Turf Club ordered the former jockey to pay €10,000 towards their costs, which they said would have been significantly lower if O'Connor had admitted the offence at an earlier stage.

The committee also said that in future cases, if a rider "fails to indicate his attitude as soon as is practicable", then the person, if found guilty, will have to pay all costs.