A disciplinary panel has revealed that jockey Hollie Doyle’s medication violation was an “unintended” and isolated incident. Doyle had taken over-the-counter painkillers to treat an elbow injury sustained in January, leading to the breach.
In her defense, the 26-year-old, who made history as the first female jockey to win a French Classic in 2022, stated that she had stopped taking the prescribed painkiller due to feeling unwell and had switched to ibuprofen and paracetamol instead.
During the investigation by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), it was determined that the likely source of the prohibited substance was a pain relief medication called Pabron Ace Pro, which Doyle had been taking in Japan. She had attempted to check the ingredients of the tablets using Google Lens.
Sarah Crowther, the chair of the BHA’s independent disciplinary panel, confirmed a reduction in the penalty imposed, stating, “I agree with the BHA that given the investigation findings, it is appropriate to reduce the penalty from a two months’ withdrawal of license to a one-month suspension.”
Doyle is allowed to continue racing, but the suspended suspension will be enforced if she fails another drug test within the next 12 months. Nonetheless, the English jockey is relieved to put this incident behind her.
Doyle commented, “In April, upon my return to riding after my elbow injury, Dr. Jerry Hill informed me that I had tested positive for traces of Dihydrocodeine, a potent painkiller. However, I had only taken ibuprofen and paracetamol during my recovery to manage swelling.”
She continued, “After conducting research, we discovered that the contamination came from a packet of ibuprofen I had purchased during my time racing overseas, which unknowingly contained small amounts of Dihydrocodeine. The BHA accepts that this was the likely source of the positive result and acknowledges that it was an innocent and unintended breach. However, due to it being a strict liability case, they deemed it appropriate to impose a one-month suspended suspension.”
Doyle concluded, “I’m incredibly grateful for the support and guidance I’ve received from my family, friends, and employers throughout the last five months. We are all relieved that this is now behind us.”
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