Cian O'Connor faces disqualification and the loss of his Olympic gold medal when his case comes before the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) judicial committee, following his admission last night that two banned substances were found in Waterford Crystal's B blood sample, writes Grania Willis, Equestrian Correspondent.
However, he could be reinstated in an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport because of procedural irregularities in the case.
O'Connor confirmed last night that the B blood sample from Waterford Crystal had tested positive for two banned substances, fluphenazine and zuclopenthixol. He said he had unofficially been told that "minute traces" of the medications had been found.
O'Connor's witnessing analyst, Dr Laurent Bigler, was present when the analysis was carried out in a New York laboratory on Monday. There is still however no official confirmation of the result from the FEI.
"These readings are so minute that they confirm what I have said throughout this matter, that they had absolutely no therapeutic or performance enhancing effect on my horse at the Games themselves," O'Connor's statement said.
"It is plain to see that we are talking about a fraction of a millionth of a gram in each case. I want to reiterate that no treatment has been deliberately given to my horses that would enhance their performance."
O'Connor's veterinary surgeon, Mr James Sheeran, who treated Waterford Crystal for a fetlock injury on July 22nd, was quoted in the statement as saying: "I chose these drugs because I wanted a calming effect without making him sleepy or unsteady on his feet, as equine medicines would. The result of the B sample proves that the concentration is at a sub-therapeutic level and would therefore have no positive effect on performance at the time of the Games."
O'Connor and Mr Sheeran were not available for comment when contacted last night.
O'Connor's solicitor, Mr Andrew Coonan, said: "The reading is so low that it confirms what Cian has said all along, that the reason the horse was given the substance was as a treatment which the vet chose to use. It was believed by all it was outside the period of time for testing at the Olympics, but it transpires now that was not the case.
"These are only unofficial results though, it's only what we've been told by our man in America."
It is believed Dr Bigler has also informed Mr O'Connor that testing on the A blood sample was carried out at the FEI central testing laboratory in Paris but was negative. "We understand that it was negative in the A blood sample", a source confirmed to The Irish Times.
The positive findings on the B sample have come about as a result of more detailed testing. Mr Chris Nattrass, director of the USA Equestrian Laboratory, was focusing specifically on the two drugs. Getting a positive result from an A sample is more difficult as the analysts are testing for numerous substances.
Ms Avril Doyle MEP, president of the Equestrian Federation of Ireland, said last night that O'Connor's Athens gold medal was "tarnished".
"I'm very disappointed but not surprised that the B sample blood confirmed the same drugs that were found in urine sample A, albeit it was in minuscule amounts," she said.
"But as these are drugs that should not be used in horses in or out of competition, it will be up to Cian to explain his case to the best of his ability to the judicial committee."
Ms Doyle said there had still been no official report from the international governing body in Lausanne.
The Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Mr O'Donoghue, also expressed his disappointment.
"It is regrettable that the full facts of this matter were not disclosed to the Irish public at a much earlier stage, which would have been in the interests of the sport and everybody concerned," he said.