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Horse racing was today engulfed in an enormous doping scandal – by a top trainer who admitted “I have made a catastrophic error”.

After 11 thoroughbreds were found to have been given anabolic steroids, their trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni bizarrely said he did not realise that what he had done was against the rules.

The horses – winners of more than £1.3million in prize money – are all from the massively successful British stables of the Godolphin racing empire owned by Sheikh Mohammed, the mega-rich ruler of Dubai.

Former groom Al Zarooni, 36, will face a British Horseracing Authority inquiry and an almost inevitable ban from the sport of kings if he is found guilty.

TV racing pundit John McCririck said today: “This is so serious – it’s deceiving the public. It’s an absolute scandal and terrible for the game.

“The excuse that he didn’t know is almost laughable. You can’t give steroids to horses in Britain. This was performance enhancing on a huge scale.”

Simon Crisford, racing manager at the Godolphin stables in Newmarket, said: “This is a dark day for Godolphin. We are all shocked by what has happened.

“His Highness Sheik Mohammed was absolutely appalled when he was told and this is completely unacceptable to him.”

The doped horses include star filly Certify which has now been banned from running in next month’s 1,000 Guineas, the second Classic race of the flat season.

(Image: PA)

Punters had staked more than £1million on her to win the race and many are likely to lose their money.

The three-year-old filly was among seven horses at the stables that tested positive for a steroid called ethylestrenol.

Last year’s Ascot Gold Cup runner-up Opinion Poll was among four to show traces of stanozolol.

Al Zarooni, who was appointed by Sheikh Mohammed three years ago, said: “I deeply regret what has happened. I have made a catastrophic error.

“Because the horses involved were not racing at the time, I did not realise what I was doing was in breach of the rules of racing.

“I apologise for the damage this will cause to Godolphin and to racing generally.”

BHA director Adam Brickell said today: “Ethylestrenol and stanozolol are anabolic steroids and therefore prohibited substances under British rules of racing, at any time – either in training or racing.”

No date has yet been set for the BHA hearing.

The steroids were found during random tests this month on 45 racehorses at the stables in Suffolk.

Godolphin said it would await the outcome of the BHA probe “before taking any further internal action”.

A review into the way the stables are run was under way tonight after being ordered by horrified Sheikh Mohammed.

The wagers taken on Certify to win the 1,000 Guineas are known as ante-post bets because they were made well in advance of the race.

A rule of these bets is that money will not be refunded if a horse ends up being pulled out.

But some bookies vowed to pay back the ante-post bets staked on Certify and the three other Godolphin thoroughbreds – Desert Blossom, Artigiano, and Restraint Of Trade – that were entered in this season’s Classics but have been banned for being among the 11 doped horses.

(Image: Getty)

Coral spokesman David Stevens said: “The circumstances that have led to four Godolphin Classic entries being suspended from running are unprecedented, and while ante-post betting by its very nature carries a level of risk, we think it fair to refund stakes on this occasion.”

Ladbrokes, William Hill, BetVictor, Bet365, Paddy Power and Sportingbet are also refunding bets on the four horses.

The other drugged horses are Fair Hill, Ghostflower, Orkney Island, Sweet Rose, Valley Of Queens, and Bathrat Amal.

Godolphin has won more than 2,000 races worldwide in 20 years and been crowned Britain’s champion owner eight times including last season.

Among the Classic triumphs was in the St Leger last year when 25-1 outsider Encke – trained by Al Zarooni – was a surprise winner.

Legend Frankie Dettori, 42, had been Godolphin’s top jockey for 18 years until they parted company in October.

Sheikh Mohammed, 63, the constitutional monarch of Dubai, belongs to the ruling Al Maktoum family who are worth around £3billion.

The sheikh’s blue-blooded thoroughbreds spend the winter in Dubai before being flown to the Newmarket stables each April.

In 2009 the sheikh’s trainer Abdullah Bin Hizaim was suspended for a year after admitting giving steroids to a horse.