Irish ace set to lose Haydock prize

Irish gelding One Won One tested positive to two prohibited substances after he won the John Of Gaunt Stakes, a Listed race, at Haydock Park in June, it was revealed yesterday.

Irish gelding One Won One tested positive to two prohibited substances after he won the John Of Gaunt Stakes, a Listed race, at Haydock Park in June, it was revealed yesterday.

The Horserace Forensic Laboratory reported that an analysis of the sample taken from the six-year-old, who is trained by Joanna Morgan, showed the presence of phenylbutazone and oxyphen-butazone.

An inquiry will now be held by the Jockey Club's disciplinary committee. Pulau Tioman, the Michael Jarvis-trained runner-up, is likely to be awarded the £15,730 prize.

Royal trainer Dick Hern yesterday claimed he was the victim of a "dirty trick" when forced to give up his training licence in 1988 while in hospital with heart trouble. His sacking sparked uproar. Hern was eventually allowed by the Queen to stay in the house in which he had lived since 1962, but handed over his training licence to Neil Graham until resuming in 1989.

He kept silent at the time, but in a new attack on the Earl of Carnarvon, the Queen's racing manager, Hern claimed to have been "weak and gaga" when he sent letters to owners, telling them he was quitting.

He said. "Had I been compos mentis I would never have done it. There was absolutely no reason why I should relinquish my licence. My assistant could have held it or Sheilah [his wife] could have got a special temporary one. It was a dirty trick.''