Final Demand has been disqualified from his second place finish in The Browns’ Advisory at the Cheltenham Festival after a prohibited substance has been found in his blood.
Champion trainer Willie Mullins has been fined £1100 after the presence of category B substance Mepivicane was discovered.
The horse finished a distant second to stablemate Kitzbuhel, and due to the findings of the disciplinary panel the prize money earned will now have to be reallocated amongst originally third placed horse Salver, fourth placed Oscars brother and fifth placed Now Is The Hour.
It is thought that the substance can have an effect on how a horse runs, and in large doses is thought to be greatly effective.
The Mullins trained horse has won a whopping £241,799 in prize money in just nine races, whilst winning three Grade 1s, including the Faugheen Novice Chase, the Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novice Chase and the Alanna Homes Champion Novice Hurdle.
The seven-year old is highly thought of at the Mullins yard, however currently holds no entries as the horse has been away on a summer break as they await the soft ground of the Autumn.
Cheltenham racecourse has also been fined £5000 due to CCTV failures from the festival, however it is not clear what the exact failings are and they currently have not commented.
This is a developing story and will be updated in due course.
