@ Godzilla

I fully understand your angst and concern. We have a situation here where punters who should have been paid won't be paid and punters who have actually been paid will not have to refund the dividends. However, I feel this situation is a different subject all together.

Doping is an extremely serious issue in all sports, especially athletics, swimming, gymnastics and cycling. If you read any foreign newspaper, there is hardly any day when there isn't something on it.

I come to Mahateji case. Mahateji has been disqualified because she tested positive for ATENOLOL. Do we know what is ATENOLOL ? Do we know what is the quantum of ATENOL found Mahateji's samples ?

There is considerable anger against the trainer and owners of Mahateji. I can understand that. I also want to point out that they are not fools. (One of Mahateji's owners is Mr. Jhunjhunwalla, the stock market 'guru') Everybody knows that a horse will be sampled after race. Only a fool will give an injection just before the race. I know that I will be screened and frisked before I board a flight. Will I try to board a flight with a six inch knife strapped to my leg ?

The testing procedures are so sophisticated today that they can pick up even minute quantities of a drug. That is why quantity of drug detected is important. Some countries (like India) have zero-tolerance policy so if even a nano gram of prohibited substance is found, the horse is disqualified. Some countries (France, for example) have "threshold levels" which means that small quantities detected are disregarded at the discretion of the Authorities. Both systems have their pros and cons. In America, use of lasix is widely permitted. Lasix masks some drugs. A horse running on lasix will show lasix but drugs will not be detected.

Everyone -- humans, animals -- need medicines every now and then. Many such medicines contain substances which are prohibited. Traces of these medicines go out of our system but the time varies from an individual to individual. So some traces may remain in system for longer time in some individuals.

Yes, if anyone injects any substance willfully to make a horse run faster or slower, he should be punished. But that is very difficult to prove.

This is very vast subject and I am short of time and space.

I will only come back to ATENOLOL. It is a drug to treat hypertension. It slows down heart beat. Is it possible that someone will inject ATENOLOL in a horse to make it run faster ?

I respect your views and I am putting forward some other views for you to consider. Playing devil's advocate if you like.

Best regards