Sean Levey seeks BHA investigation after ‘false positive’ drug test leads to week-long ride ban | Racing news
Jockey Sean Levey will seek a “full investigation” after being suspended from riding for more than a week after testing “false positive” for amphetamines.
Last Wednesday, Levey was removed from an intended trip in Sandown after a random saliva sample tested positive for a banned substance.
According to a statement by Sky Sports Racing, Levey immediately requested a urine sample be obtained within 24 hours of the Sandown incident and took six days for the result to be negative, meaning Levey is now clear to return ride a horse.
During his suspension, Levey missed out on last week’s Racing League final and the chance to win a £20,000 prize money as the competition’s top driver, which he has been leading since last week. firstly.
In Levey’s absence, Saffie Osborne won a treble of 6,500 to surpass Levey’s total and take the prize.
Speaking to Sky Sports Racing on Wednesday, Levey said: “The idea of having a saliva test on the day is a good one but you need to get your results right away because the ban starts immediately.
“I had no chance to prove my innocence. I had to ask for a urine sample.
Saffie Osborne beats Levey for top spot in jockeys’ racing championship
“The way it is managed has certainly been done better. I have yet to receive a response from the BHA regarding an apology.
“It brought me a lot of stress and it tarnished my name because of the assumptions that were made and the financial aspect of it because I missed seven days of riding.”
When asked if he would seek legal action, Levey said: “I’ll look into it. I have to – try and get back some of what I’ve lost.”
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In his earlier statement, Levey said: “While I’m happy to be back this weekend, it’s hard not to feel heartbroken with what’s happened to me over the past few days.
“Some might say I was unlucky with the false positives that happened right before the Racing League final, but I sincerely hope that there are lessons to be learned from this and the like. won’t happen to future racing players.
“I appreciate the support I’ve received from my coaches, teammates and SBK sponsors throughout the past week. I look forward to a peaceful return to this weekend.”
Levey is booked for three rides at Haydock on Friday.
A BHA spokesperson said: “The BHA can confirm that Sean Levey is able to drive and will not comment further at this time as the matter remains confidential.”
Chapman: Levey ban is not the way to run a sport
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Sky Sports Racing’s Matt Chapman feels the BHA was wrong to ban Sean Levey from riding, causing him to miss the Racing League finale, after subsequent checks cleared up any wrongdoing.
Sky Sports Racing’s Matt Chapman served as team manager for Levey’s London and The South throughout the Grand Prix.
He feels the BHA needs to have a “rethink” of its processes for handling suspensions for similar incidents.
“The authorities clearly need to take a different look at this because we can’t have people banned for no reason – especially when there’s a large sum of money to take,” Chapman said. I completely gutted about that.
“In this case you have to question whether Levey should have turned it down immediately because then it shows that he shouldn’t be.
“This is clearly wrong and someone, somewhere is going to have to rethink. You can’t just ban people and then say you’re fine for a few days. That’s not the way to run sports. “
