TWO winners were disqualified by the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board’s Referrals Committee this week over positive post-race tests for prohibited substances.

Darrens Hope, winner of a mares’ maiden hurdle at Punchestown in January, tested positive for a metabolite of boldenone, an anabolic steroid. However, the Referrals Committee found that restricted trainer Robert Murphy, from Cappoquin, Co Wexford, was not responsible and that the most likely reason for the presence of the substance was as a result of natural processes in the animal.