Newmarket doping investigation

The trainer at the centre of one of racing's biggest scandals has lodged an appeal against the severity of his eight-year suspension.

The British Horseracing Authority confirmed the appeal had been lodged by Mahmood Al Zarooni today.

Al Zarooni, 37, was found guilty of administering anabolic steroids to 15 horses in his care at a BHA hearing two weeks ago.

The former Godolphin handler was officially charged with rule breaches related to prohibited substances, duty to keep medication records, and conduct prejudicial to racing.

The BHA said the date for the appeal hearing will be confirmed in due course.

The British Horseracing Authority said Mahmood Al Zarooni has lodged an appeal against the severity of an eight-year suspension from training.

Newmarket's racing industry is facing more questions after trainer Gerard Butler admitted using steroids on horses at his stables.

He says it was only done under advice from vets. He also says that more than 100 horses across the town's stables may have been given the same drug.

ITV News Anglia's Olivia Paterson reports.

A second Newmarket trainer has admitted giving anabolic steroids to his horses.

Gerard Butler follows Mahmood Al Zarooni who was banned for eight years last week for using the drugs on some of his horses.

Mr Butler says horses in his Egerton House Stables were only given the treatment under advice from vets.

It comes on the day drug testing got underway on the remaining 150 horses at Sheikh Mohammed's Moulton Paddocks stable where Al Zarooni had been in charge

The British Horseracing Authority is due to start full testing of every horse at the Godolphin stables in Newmarket today, following a doping scandal.

Mahmood al-Zarooni has admitted giving anabolic steroids to fifteen horses at the Godolphin stables, where he's been principal trainer since 2010. He's been banned from the sport for eight years.

Godolphin owner Sheikh Mohammed has locked down the Moulton Paddocks until the testing is undertaken.

Godolphin racing manager Simon Crisford says he "deeply regrets" the part he played in hiring Mahmood Al Zarooni.

Al Zarooni has been banned for eight years for administering anabolic steroids to 15 of his Newmarket based horses.

Talking to Channel 4 Racing Simon Crisford said a trainer runs the day-to-day management while a racing manager looks after the best interests of the owner.

He said that he couldn't be aware of every single bit of medication that Godolphin horses were getting.

Newmarket trainer Chris Wall gives his reaction to the 8 year ban imposed on trainer Mahmood al-Zarooni who has admitting doping 15 horses at the Godolphin stables in the town.

He told ITV News Anglia's Emma Baker that the racing industry in Newmarket can and will recover from the scandal.

Godolphin trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni has been disqualified for eight years by the British Horseracing Authority are admitting doping 15 of the operation's horses.

The Newmarket horseracing trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni has been banned from training horses for eight years after horses under his care at the Godolphin stables in Suffolk were tested positive for steroids.