Dubai Official Responds to Yahagi's Test Barn Complaint

Yoshito Yahagi, trainer of Saudi Cup (G1) winner and defeated Dubai World Cup (G1) favorite Forever Young (JPN), has written a letter to the Emirates Racing Authority suggesting his colt was compromised by a prerace visit to the receiving barn at Meydan Racecourse for a random urine test. Yahagi said he was not present for the incident because he was saddling a horse for the Dubai Sheema Classic (G1T) but had been in constant communication with assistant Yukihiko Araki. In his letter, which Yahagi posted on social media, he suggests Forever Young was kept in a "pitch black" stall for 40 minutes during a failed attempt to collect the urine sample. Yahagi said his assistant Araki and Forever Young's groom, Yasuhiro Shibuta, were given confusing instructions, with a language barrier playing a role. Yahagi said the incident led to his staff being rushed to get Forever Young to the saddling enclosure and put Forever Young's groom in a state of "panic disorder," that made him unable to help saddle the colt. Furthermore, Yahagi said the ordeal left Forever Young "physically worn out" and "considerably exhausted," suggesting it was a contributing factor to his disappointing third-place finish in the World Cup. Yahagi suggested the ERA move to blood samples in the future when difficulties arise in obtaining a urine sample before a race. Yahagi closed his letter saying he has respect and admiration for the hospitality the Dubai track provides to guests and that he would continue to bring horses to the meeting. The ERA responded with a letter signed by its head of equine health and welfare, Dr. David Craig, which Yahagi also posted to social media. The letter, while respectful to the Japanese trainer, disputed some of the facts of Yahagi's complaint, based on security camera footage. According to the ERA, Forever Young was one of nine horses selected for random prerace urine testing on Dubai World Cup night. The letter did not list the names of the other horses, but said one was in the test barn for 35 minutes and subsequently won its race. According to the letter, Forever Young occupied a well-lit, air-conditioned stall at the test barn for a total of 26 minutes. Craig wrote that Forever Young's groom became visibly agitated, and ERA staff attempted to de-escalate the situation. Craig said Forever Young was released from the test barn one hour before his race. Forever Young was retested after the race, and his postrace urine sample fulfilled the ERA's integrity requirements. The letter acknowledged the lack of a translator had led to some confusion during the process. "We accept that this is an area requiring improvement and thank you for highlighting it," Craig wrote. "Your correspondence has prompted us to reflect constructively on our processes." Craig reiterated the ERA's commitment to prerace testing as part of its anti-doping strategy, but said it would review whether horses should be asked to arrive earlier, to formalize a maximum waiting time for prerace urine collection, and provide advance procedural briefings and written materials to international teams.