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Vinnie Jones' winning greyhound "involved" in positive drug test
22 March 2006 A coursing greyhound co-owned by actor and ex-footballer, Vinnie Jones, has been named as being involved in a positive drug test result, the Irish Council Against Blood Sports has learned. The test result was received following his win of the J.P. McManus-sponsored Irish Cup, the so-called blue riband event of the coursing calendar. The following brief statement about the drugs test appears on the website of the Sporting Press (the Irish Coursing Club's newspaper): "Following analysis of samples taken for drug testing purposes at the recent Irish Cup meeting, a positive result has been received involving the winner of the Irish Cup, Boavista. The Irish Coursing Club will be holding an enquiry into the positive result received in due course." ICABS understands that Vinnie Jones and co-owners netted 80,000 Euro for the Irish Cup win. Boavista, who has had a string of wins during the 2005/06 Irish hare coursing season, was recently named the coursing greyhound of the year and described as "the most consistent runner for many years and a very worthy winner of the ultimate prize in coursing". Meanwhile, an article prominently published in the same edition of the Sporting Press, praises the greyhound's success, saying "Boavista, the double hero of the Champion Stakes and the Irish Cup, is the runaway winner of the Coursing Greyhound of the Year award." Boavista also won the Classics Club Champion Stakes at the national finals of coursing in Clonmel, the Oaks Trial stakes at Newcastle West, the All-Age Cup at Miltown Malbay and two further competitions at New Ross. The Irish Council Against Blood Sports would like to know what drug was involved, if Boavista had been tested for the presence of drugs following his previous wins and what action Bord na gCon and the Minister for Arts, Sports and Tourism (who is responsible for the greyhound industry) intends to take.
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