First positive in France to blood agent

Australia is among the jurisdictions maintaining vigilance in testing for substances such as the synthetic blood agent known as ITPP.

A French laboratory has detected the first positive result in a racehorse to ITPP, or myo-inositol trispyrophosphate.

The substance was detected in a urine sample from Akoya, the winner of a Group One race for purebred Arabians at Longchamp in September.

ITPP is said to work by binding to the membrane of red blood cells or haemoglobin, promoting the release of oxygen in humans and horses.

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Dutch trainer Karin van den Bos faces a one-year suspension from France Galop.

Racing NSW chief executive Peter V’landys says the Australian Racing Forensic Laboratory has been testing for ITPP for several years.

“We have been testing since at least 2013,” V’landys said.

“We have had no positives to date.”

French laboratory director Ludovic Bailly-Chouriberry said racing labs around the world regularly consulted each other to ensure they were on top of matters such as blood doping.