Champion jumps trainer Martin Pipe may be in hot water again with the Jockey Club after refusing to allow one of his horses to be dope tested following a race at Haydock.
The 10-11 favourite Tanterari finished fifth in a handicap chase on Thursday and afterwards Pipe prevented officials from carrying out a routine test, saying the sampling unit could be a cause for the spread of infections.
Last week he allowed two of his horses selected for testing at the races to undergo the procedure, but in their own stall at the stabling block and not the sampling unit.
Pipe, 59, explained his stand on his stable's website, saying: "Disease may be spread by the number of horses using the same dope box. Could this be improved? I am not opposed to the procedure of dope testing, but the practice in which the testing is conducted.
"This system is currently over 50 years old and there must be room for improvement at present. Winners and losers are all tested in the same dope box, one after the other.
"Winners are likely to be healthy whereas losers, beaten favourites and horses that did not run up to form are statistically more likely to be ill and therefore infectious."
The Jockey Club's veterinary director Peter Webbon told Friday's Racing Post the chances were "less than one per cent of the overall risk, well less, maybe a thousandth".
Pipe is still smarting from last week's £3,000stg Jockey Club fine under the non-triers rule relating to a race last October but has decided not to appeal.
He has been warned he could be fined between £2,500stg and £12,000stg for the latest incident.
