‘I Got Away With It For Far Too Long’: Previously Suspended Jockey Calls For Stricter Cocaine Testing

Recent British jockey suspensions due to cocaine positives have encouraged Professional Jockeys Association (PJA) chief executive Paul Struthers to call for increased testing and penalties, reports the Racing Post.

Jockey Nathan Evans was banned six months last week after testing positive for cocaine, and champion British jockey Oisin Murphy received a three-month ban from France Galop after a positive he claimed was due to contamination from a sexual partner.

Kieren Shoemark, 24, made his way back from a cocaine positive and six-month suspension issued in 2018, and is now adding to the voices calling for additional testing. The young rider explained that cocaine has become an increasingly serious problem among jockeys, and that current protocols don't do enough to ensure detection of the drug.

“People being caught taking drugs is not a good thing for the sport; it's giving it a bad name,” Shoemark told the Racing Post. “If people know there's zero tolerance, they're going to take notice as they know they're going to get caught. I don't use 'cheat the system' lightly, but a lot of people are getting away with it — I got away with it for far too long. Hair sampling has to be the way forward.”