RACING: The Turf Club has indicated a change in the non-threshold rule regarding morphine could be introduced. Brian O'Connor reports.

Nine horses in Ireland have tested positive for the prohibited drug since the contaminated feed episode "broke" eleven days ago.

Current Turf Club rules allow for nothing but automatic disqualification if a horse tests positive for morphine, a stance that has caused calls for change from trainers and the owners organisation.

However, the Turf Club senior steward Ray Rooney revealed on Saturday night that the European Horse Racing Scientific Liaison Committee is currently examining up to 12 drugs, including morphine, to determine whether thresholds should be introduced.

But he added: "I understand that in the event of the committee finding that any of the drugs contribute to the improvement of a horse no matter how small the quantity found, the thresholds will not be introduced." Rooney was speaking at the Moyglare dinner where a presentation was made to the connections of the Melbourne Cup winner Media Puzzle, Michael Smurfit and Dermot Weld.

Rooney said 2002 will be remembered for a number of events which could have the potential to cause serious damage to racing's integrity in the future.

Regarding the BBC documentaries, Panorama and Kenyon Confronts, he said: "While most people involved in racing would have treated the allegations and the methods used to obtain information with a certain amount of contempt, the reality is that the vast majority of the public who are not familiar with racing would be deeply concerned by what they saw.

"Even though the programme was made in the UK, the question we have asked as stewards of the governing bodies is 'could it happen here.' We can never afford to become complacent."