Jockeys get the all-clear

The Turf Club announced yesterday that all jockeys tested for drugs in Ireland last year returned negative results.

Riders were tested on 75 occasions last year and the Turf Club chief executive, Denis Egan, said: "We are delighted that all samples taken form the 140 riders, sampled since testing started in May of 2003, were negative. It is a great achievement bearing in mind the Turf Club adapted the full WADA list of prohibited substances."

The figures were part of the 2004 Integrity Racing Statistics for 2004 which also showed that 3,120 samples form horses were taken for analysis with 12 returning positive.

There was also a reduction in the number of jockeys being "stood down" due to dehydration, from 29 in 2003 to 14. That figure did include one jockey being stood down on six separate occasions.

Officials at Doncaster and Ludlow are keeping a close watch on the weather ahead of their respective meetings tomorrow. The latest cold snap claimed the turf fixtures at Carlisle (frost) yesterday and Sedgefield (snow) today.

However, Doncaster's clerk of the course Jon Pullin said: "At this stage we are perfectly raceable. We had one snow shower that turned to sleet earlier this morning but that has all gone. Bob Davies, Pullin's counterpart at Ludlow, said they were "hoping for the best".

Meanwhile, Martin Pipe and his jockey Jamie Moore have decided against contesting the decision by the Jockey Club's disciplinary panel to punish them over the running and riding of Celtic Son at Exeter last October.