The British Horseracing Authority (BHA), in a recap of a hearing into trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni’s admitted use of anabolic steroids in some of his racehorses, called it a "deliberate flouting" of the rules of racing.

The BHA published the document April 30, just days after Al Zarooni, who trained for Godolphin, was suspended for eight years for 11 positive tests for ethylestranol and stanozolol. Blood samples were taken from the horses April 9, and the hearing before the BHA Disciplinary Panel was held April 25.

"The panel takes a very dim view of the sheer volume of horses who were subjected to these unlawful medication regimes," the BHA said. "This was a widespread systematic misuse of illegal substances which are absolutely prohibited under the rules. Nearly a quarter of the 45 horses tested at the stables had positive samples. These were horses in training, some of which were entered into races in April and May.

"The panel is firmly of the view that this was not an accidental or inadvertent misunderstanding of the rules—this was a deliberate flouting of the governance framework of British racing by one of the most high-profile flat trainers working in the racing industry