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Queen Elizabeth II’s Winning Racehorse Estimate Tested Positive For Banned Drug Morphine

Queen Elizabeth II
Queen Elizabeth II's winning racehorse, Estimate, tested positive for the banned drug morphine

Blimey, this isn't good! Queen Elizabeth II's award-winning horse named Estimate has tested positive for morphine, the Telegraph reports. Buckingham Palace announced the news on Tuesday, July 22. The Queen's bloodstock and racing advisor, John Warren, also gave a statement.

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"On Thursday, July 17, the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) announced that a number of post-race samples, obtained from recent race meetings, had been found to indicate the presence of morphine, which is a prohibited substance on race days. Five horses, under the care of various trainers, were affected."

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"I can confirm that one of those horses was Estimate, the five year-old filly trained by Sir Michael Stoute and owned by The Queen. Initial indications are that the positive test resulted from the consumption of a contaminated feed product," he continued. "There will be no further comment until the BHA announces its considered findings. Her Majesty has been informed of the situation."

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Estimate's trainer Stoute will be "working closely" with the feed company to find out how the horse's food could have been contaminated with the performance enhancing drug.

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Estimate won first place in the Gold Cup in 2013, and could be stripped of its second place award from this year. If so, Queen Elizabeth would have to forfeit her $80,625 prize winnings.

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