French National Hunt trainer and former champion jump jockey David Cottin faces a 12-month suspension as both trainer and owner after failing to observe the correct withdrawal times in the use of corticosteroids on four horses in his stable.
A veterinary officer from France's National Federation of Horseracing carried out an inspection at Cottin's yard in Lamorlaye, near Chantilly, on December 3, which revealed “several violations”, according to a statement released by France Galop on Monday. Of particular concern was the evidence of intra-articular (joint) injections, as well as injections between the vertebrae on four horses. The substance used, the corticosteroid Dexamethasone, has a withdrawal period of 14 days before the treated horse is allowed to resume racing.
The four horses, identified as Matilda Du Berlais (Fr), Duke Chop (Fr), Para (Fr) and Madara (Fr), have all subsequently been disqualified from the contests in which they raced within that 14-day period.
A treble winner of the Cravache d'Or d'obstacle (French champion jump jockeys' title), Cottin retired from race-riding in 2017 at the age of 27. He made a notably successful start to his training career, and enjoyed victory at the Cheltenham Festival in 2020 with Easysland (Fr).
Cottin was one of 21 people arrested from a number of different French stables, along with one person in Spain and another in Italy, in March 2022 in connection with alleged doping offences. He was subsequently released without charge.
Cottin has 14 days in which to lodge an appeal against his suspension.
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