ENGLISH RACING SENSATION.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20085, 14 November 1930, Page 22

ENGLISH RACING SENSATION.

CAMPAIGN AGAINST DOPING POPULAR TRAINER WARNED OFF. (FROM OUR ' OWN CORRESPONDENT.) LONDON, October 3. A fortnight ago a young Doncaster trainer, D. Taylor, was warned off the Turf, charged with administering a drug to a horse prior to a race. Now comes the news that G. Chapman, of Manor Farm, Lavant, Sussex, has been similarly dealt with. The latter case has caused a sensation among racing people, and a great deal more will be heard of it. Both trainers protest their innocence. The official announcement in the Chapman case was as follows: The acting stewards of the Kempton Park Second Summer Meeting, Major Mark Weyland, Sir William Cooke, and ! the Hon. T. Egerton, mot on September 13th to receive the result of the examination which they had ordered to be made of Don Pat after winning the | Bedfont High-Weight Handicap. Having interviewed Mr Eowe, the" owner of Don Pat, and C. Chapman, the trainer, they referred the case to the stewards of the Jockey Club. The stewards of the Jockey Club (Lord EUesmere acting for Lord Zetland) after further investigation, satisfied themselves that a drug had been administered to the horse for the purpose of the race in question. They disqualified the horse for this race, and for all future races under their rules, and warned C. Chapman, the trainer of the horse, off Newmarket Heath. Successful Young Trainer. Prior to winning at Kempton, Don Pat had won the Vyner Handicap at Hurst Park by six lengths. C. Chapman was an amateur rider a few years ago. He spent some time at Newmarket with Tom Leader learning the business of racing, and as an amateur he rode for Gilbert Bennett's stable. Soon afterwards he became a professional and then started as a public trainer of racehorses at Lavant. His patrons included the Duke of Richmond, and Gordon, who was elected a member of the Jockey Club last July, and Lady Wentworth, who has a big Arab stud at Crawley. A few weeks ago he took over two yearlings, the property of the Duke of Norfolk, who is to start racing next season. Chapman's Assertion. "I do not wish to make any statement on the situation, which is clear enough to all familiar with the Turf. I am happy to be able to say that I enjoy still the absolute -confidence of many of the best-known sportsmen. I may say, so far as the drugging of Don Pat is concerned, that I know as little about doping as about earthquakes. I have never even heard of the drug which is stated to have been • used on Don Pat. But until I can find the guilty person or ( gang and prove their guilt I have to bear the blame.'' Hosts of friends are rallying to Mr Chapman's aid. He has Teceived many messages of sympathy from members of the Jockey Club. ' One member, a noted owner and a duke, has promised to support Mr Chapman in his efforts to discover the guilty dopers, in spite of tha fact that it may cost mueh money and take a long time. '' Chapman, is Innocent." ' Mr Geoffrey Gilbey', writing in the "Daily Express/' says:— , It is a shock to hear the news that a man is- warned .off the Turf. When that man happens to be one's own trainer and. a valued friend, the greatness of the shock can be understood.: Yet perhaps I was 1 not nearly so shocked as those must lie who do not know the facts of the case. I know C'haipmari very intimately, and I know that he has never given or authorised the giving of dope to any horse in bis life. The stewards had to act on the evidence, and I understand the evidence given to them was that from the sweat of Don Pat twenty grains of a drug called caffeine were extracted. The warning off of Chapman is probably the most sensational thing that has ; ever occurred.on the Turf, because Chapman is innocent. Who is the guilty person ? I have my own ideas. I am convinced that Chapipa.n has been the victim of a wickeder plot than we.ever read of in fiction. I believe, too, that,the man responsible for the plot had little or nothing against Chapman personally. So far the plot has succeeded, but Prim confident that right will out. I am not questioning the verdict of the stewards; I am not blaming the Kempton stewards. I am cheering myself with the belief that before long the real culprits will be discovered and that. Chapman's good name will bo vindicated.

Quick-Action Drugs. "It is well-known,'' writes "Picquet" of the "News-Chronicle," "that practically all tonics given for the purpose of toning up the system •contain, in the case of. a horse, arsenic, or in the ease of a human being, either arsenic, or strychnine in minute quantities. The administration of a tonic containing arsenic to a horse is mot officially regarded as doping, and trainers who use such ' preparations for - 'legitimate ■purposes need have no fear of the displeasure of the Jockey Club. A dose of arsenic will not make a horse go any faster, or arouse a coward ' to greater endeavour. /'Only the quick-action dope, such as cocaine—the most effective- and the most insidious of all dopes—which is given hypodermically in the neck or leg muscles, caffeine—which is given through the mouth—heroin, apd such substances, produce that valuable and muscular stimulation that may arouse a horse to efforts beyond its normal powers. It is the administration of such substances a3 these that leads to trainers being -warned off. In, justice to the good name of the Turf it should be stated that the practice of doping, racehorses is not a common, one, and is resorted to qnly by a very limited number of trainers. : , The Medicine Chest. "I have a cupboard at home full-of dope." said'a certain trainer, "and I* should say every trainer in the country has some of one kind or another: 1 know there is a considerable portion of what would be called 'dope', in one medicine which has been made up for me by a veterinary surgeon, and which was for treating a certain animal. It has not been used with any idea of helping to win races, but rather to | enable the horse to get. over a complaint. I shall be frightened in future to give medicine to any of. my horses. It is time the. stewards of the Jockey Club told us just where we stand." History of Doping. It was not until 1903 that the Jockey Club made the doping of racehorses illpaal The practice had been followed for some years before then by some of

the American trainers in this country, and having perceived the success which attended their efforts, some of the English trainers began, to use dope,. With the result that the stewards of the Jockey Club found it necessary to take steps to stop the scandal. Por a number of years no official action was tali en to enforce the rule against doping, but early in the present season the stewards of the Jockey Club made it known that they were prepared to take strong measures against any violations of the rule. . At one of the Newmarket meetings they caused an examination to be made of the saliva of the horses that finished first and. second. Their intention of doing this being announced before the race, no aspersion was cast on the owners and trainers, of the animals in question. Similar action has been taken at a number of other ;meetings during the past few . months. ! When Don Pat won the Vyner Welter, Handicap in July he was well backed, and in the hands of Carslake ran away with the race with an ease which astonished the crowd. In the following month the horse competed for the Bedfont Handicap, the race from wliich the enquiry of the Stewards arose. With Carslake again on his back he was favourite and won comfortably. A "Secret Dope." Dr. Richard W, Starkie, a former Metropolitan police surgeon, seems to be taking interest in Chapman's case. According to the "Daily Express," Dr. Starkie has made the assertion that there is, a ''secret' dope'' which is little known and which could be administered without fear of detection. ! "I know exactly what is g° in S on > ' said Dr.V%tarM^,' l< and I feel that the help I could give would, T>e of the utmost value. A dope has been at work—there is no' doubt "Ot that at all arid some people whose . names ; are prominent in the rating world are concerned >ith it.,. The secret dope which has been vised in three»recent cases would.J?ot be found on examination by one in a hundred veterinary surgeons. I believe that I. am one of the few men. in this eOrihtry who know how the use of that dope can be ascertained. "Following one of the most Tccent doped horse wins, trouble 'has arisen through the parties who made money out of the doping. Some of them do not think, they received a sufficient share of ihe winnings, and are tfireateniug to talk. It is quite possible for a horse to be doped* without the the owner, or the stable boy in charge of the horse knowing what was taking place. Caffeine was' the drug administered to Dqn'Pat, according to the result' of examination afterwards. This drug' is "a heart 'and.? muscle stimulant, and it would be a fairly simple matter to administer caffeine to an animal without anyone in the stable. knowing. I could, I "feel sure, drug a horse on most racecourses without any fear of detection. "

"Heroin and strychnine are the most usual dopes used on lorses. What I call the 'secret dope'—which is a drug not on the list of dangerous drugs—is only known. to a few people, but its use is becoming more "Because of what I have said in the 'Daily Express' in reference to doping, •I have been threatened with physical violence, and have been told that, it would be a great: deal* safer if I'kept silent. I am taking no notice of these threats. I am ready to go forward; if the stewards of the Jockey Club wish for my assistance."