On Thursday, April 25, Mahmood Al Zarooni, trainer for Godolphin, the powerhouse thoroughbred racing stable which is owned by Dubai's ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, was handed an eight-year ban from the sport.
As explained in an article by the BBC, a total of 15 horses which campaign under the Godolphin banner tested positive for ethylestranol and stanozolol, which are banned steroids. The horses in question have also been suspended for six months.
"I accept it was my responsibility to be aware of rules and regulations around banned substances -- I have made a catastrophic error," said Al Zarooni, 37, who took the chance to publicly apologize to both Al Maktoum and fans of horse racing.
"I apologize to Sheikh Mohammed and all those at Godolphin, and the public who follow racing."
(With files from the BBC)