High drama unfolded at Galway on Thursday morning when the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) withdrew Petrol Head from the €270,000 Guinness Galway Hurdle. The eight-year-old, who had garnered substantial support and was 16-1 overnight before being backed into 6-1 favourite status at the time of his withdrawal, tested positive for a prohibited substance following his win at Bellewstown on July 6. The IHRB only received confirmation of the positive test at 11 am that morning.
IHRB CEO Darragh O'Loughlin addressed the situation, describing it as an "unprecedented set of circumstances" in an interview with Fran Berry on Racing TV, where he answered all the key questions about the incident.