Plumpton runner tests positive Ashgar, a beaten odds-on chance at Plumpton on Easter Saturday, has tested positive to the banned substance acetylpromazine (ACP), it was announced today.ACP is the most widely and regularly used sedative for horses in Britain.A statement from the Jockey Club said: 'The Jockey Club can confirm that its security department is conducting an investigation into the result of a sample taken from Ashgar at Plumpton on Saturday March 30th which showed traces of ACP.'However, contrary to previous instances when traces of ACP have been identified, no evidence has emerged to date to suggest an attempt was made to fix the result of the race for monetary gain.'The investigation is continuing.'Every sample taken from a horse is divided into two, an `A` and a `B` sample. So far only the `A` sample from Ashgar has been tested. The `B` sample has been sent to another recognised laboratory for confirmatory analysis.The Philip Hobbs-trained Ashgar was sent off the 5-6 favourite for the Roy Avery Memorial Novices` Hurdle but after a mistake at the last finished third, beaten seven and a half lengths behind the winner Boring Goring.The last time a horse tested positive in Britain for ACP was five years ago when Avanti Express and Lively Knight were found to have been given the fast-acting tranquilliser.The drug revealed itself in urine tests as 2-1-hydroxyethyl promazine, a metabolite of ACP.
