CASE 014
:
THE CASE OF THE FALLEN FAVOURITE
The favourite for the Hartwell Gold Cup was found collapsed in her stable the night before the race. A prohibited substance was in her blood. Three people had access. One had a motive worth £340,000. The science of a single blood sample is about to make the case — but the answer is not the one anyone expected.
CASE BRIEFING
At 11:40 PM on the Friday night before the Hartwell Gold Cup, stable hand Kieran Doyle found Sovereign Light down in her box.
She was on her side. Her breathing was shallow. Her heart rate was dangerously low. She could not rise.
Kieran ran for the phone.
Sovereign Light was not just any horse.
She was a seven-year-old bay mare with a career record of eleven wins from fourteen starts. She had won the Hartwell Gold Cup twice. She was the reigning champion. At 6:30 PM that evening the bookmakers had installed her as 2-1 favourite for Saturday's race — the shortest price she had ever been.
Her trainer — James Calloway, 54 — had prepared her for this race for eighteen months. Three weeks earlier she had worked a mile in 1:34 at Newmarket — the fastest piece of work recorded by any horse in training that season. She was, in Calloway's words, the best she had ever been.
By midnight she was in a veterinary hospital fighting for her life.
The Hartwell Gold Cup would be run without her.
The yard — Calloway Racing, Hartwell — had three people present that evening:
Kieran Doyle, 31 — Sovereign Light's dedicated groom for four years. He had been with her through every race, every injury, every morning gallop. He was present in the yard from 4:00 PM until he found her collapsed at 11:40 PM. He described her as completely normal at the 10:00 PM check.
Dr. Sarah Venn, 44 — the yard veterinarian. She arrived at 9:10 PM to administer a pre-race supplement injection — a routine procedure she had performed before every major race of Sovereign Light's career. She documented the administration at 9:15 PM and left the yard at 9:28 PM.
Marcus Webb, 26 — a stable hand who had joined Calloway Racing two weeks earlier through the British Racing Industry Jobs Placement Scheme. He had been assigned general yard duties and had been signed off by Kieran Doyle as competent and reliable. He was rostered on duty until 11:00 PM and had been seen leaving the yard at approximately 11:05 PM — thirty-five minutes before Sovereign Light was found.
A fourth figure had been at the racecourse earlier that evening — not in the stable yard but at the owners' and trainers' reception held in the racecourse hospitality suite adjacent to the stable block.
Richard Oates, 58 — a property developer and racehorse owner whose horse
Northern Star was the second favourite for Saturday's race at 7-2. If Sovereign Light was scratched Northern Star became the new favourite — a position worth an estimated £340,000 in prize money and long-term stud value.
Oates and Calloway had a documented history of animosity — a disputed ownership claim from three years earlier had ended in litigation and a settlement that both parties had described publicly as unsatisfactory.
Oates had been seen by two witnesses walking near the stable block at approximately 9:45 PM — ostensibly to visit his own horse in an adjacent yard.
He had no documented access to Calloway Racing's stable area.
Blood and urine samples were taken from Sovereign Light at the veterinary hospital at 12:30 AM.
The results arrived at 6:15 AM — ninety minutes before the scheduled start of racing.
Lead investigator Dr. Maya Osei — appointed by the British Horseracing Authority to conduct a formal inquiry — read the toxicology report at her desk and reached for her phone.
"We have a substance," she told the BHA's director of integrity. "We have a concentration. And we have a window. Someone calculated wrong — and that calculation is going to tell us everything."
Your investigation begins now.
A champion racehorse collapsed the night before the biggest race of her career. A prohibited substance was found in her blood. Three people had access to the stable that evening — and one person with enormous financial motive was seen nearby.
Examine all five Evidence Files. The toxicology, the veterinary records, the pharmacokinetic timeline, the access records, and the background investigation all have something to say.
The science of how drugs move through a horse's body will narrow the field to one person. And when you find them — you will also find a calculation error that tells you more about what was intended than what actually happened.
Who poisoned Sovereign Light — and what were they really trying to do?
Instructions:
Play solo or with a team of up to 5 investigators. Examine the five Evidence Files together, or divide them among your team and have each investigator analyze different clues. Share what you discover, compare theories, and decide which evidence matters most.
When you've examined all the evidence, work individually or as a team to reach your final verdict—then reveal the solution to see if you cracked the case.
EVIDENCE FILES
EVIDENCE FILE 01 +
EVIDENCE FILE 01 — TOXICOLOGY REPORT
Case Reference: BHA-2024-1109
Evidence Item: EV-01 — Blood and urine analysis
Prepared By: Dr. Claire Adeyemi, Racing Chemistry Laboratory
Date: Saturday — 6:15 AM
BACKGROUND
Blood and urine samples were collected from Sovereign Light at Hartwell Veterinary Hospital at 12:30 AM — approximately 50 minutes after she was found collapsed in her stable. Samples were sealed, coded, and submitted for urgent analysis under BHA prohibited substances protocols.
Dr. Adeyemi was contacted at 2:00 AM and conducted the analysis through the night.
FINDINGS
Substance identified: Acepromazine
Acepromazine — also known as ACP — is a phenothiazine derivative used in veterinary medicine as a sedative and pre-anaesthetic agent. It works by blocking dopamine receptors in the central nervous system — producing sedation, reduced anxiety, and lowered blood pressure.
It is a Class 1 prohibited substance under BHA rules — meaning it has no legitimate use in a horse within the competition period and its presence at any concentration constitutes a violation.
Blood concentration recorded: 0.23 mg/L
Urine concentration recorded: 1.84 mg/L
CLINICAL CONTEXT
The treating veterinarian at Hartwell Veterinary Hospital — Dr. Nadia Petrov — provided the following clinical assessment alongside the toxicology results:
Sovereign Light presented with:
Heart rate: 22 beats per minute — severely below the normal resting range of 28 to 44 BPM
Respiratory rate: 6 breaths per minute — severely depressed
Mucous membrane colour: pale — indicating poor peripheral circulation
Rectal temperature: 35.8 degrees Celsius — hypothermic
These clinical signs are consistent with acepromazine toxicity — specifically cardiovascular and respiratory depression caused by exposure to acepromazine at a concentration significantly above therapeutic levels.
Dr. Petrov's assessment: "This horse received acepromazine at a dose that caused life-threatening cardiovascular depression. At the concentration we found in the blood she was approximately two hours from cardiac arrest when she was brought in."
WHAT THIS FINDING ESTABLISHES
The toxicology confirms that acepromazine was present in Sovereign Light's system at a concentration causing clinical toxicity.
What it does not establish:
The toxicology report identifies the substance and its concentration. It does not establish when the acepromazine was administered, by whom, or through what route.
Those questions require the evidence in the files that follow.
YOUR TASK
A prohibited substance has been identified in a champion racehorse's blood at a concentration causing life-threatening toxicity.
Research what acepromazine is and how it is used in veterinary medicine. Consider why a substance with legitimate veterinary applications would be prohibited in racehorses — and what a person might be trying to achieve by administering it the night before a major race.
The blood concentration of 0.23 mg/L tells investigators something important beyond the identity of the substance.
Research how blood drug concentrations are used in forensic investigations — and what the concentration level might tell you about the dose that was administered and when.
Evidence File 02 will examine the veterinary records for Sovereign Light — including a documented administration of acepromazine earlier that evening.
EVIDENCE FILE 02 +
EVIDENCE FILE 02 — VETERINARY RECORDS
Case Reference: BHA-2024-1109
Evidence Item: EV-02 — Sovereign Light veterinary administration records
Prepared By: Dr. Maya Osei, BHA Integrity Investigation Unit
Date: Saturday — 9:00 AM
BACKGROUND
Evidence File 01 identified acepromazine in Sovereign Light's blood at a concentration causing clinical toxicity. However acepromazine is a licensed veterinary medicine — its presence is not automatically evidence of prohibited administration. It must first be established whether any legitimate veterinary use of acepromazine occurred that evening and whether that use can account for the concentration found.
Dr. Maya Osei reviewed all veterinary records for Sovereign Light and interviewed Dr. Sarah Venn regarding her visit to Calloway Racing on the night of the collapse.
DR. SARAH VENN — VISIT RECORD
Dr. Venn arrived at Calloway Racing at 9:10 PM and departed at 9:28 PM — an 18-minute visit documented in her practice management system, confirmed by the yard's electronic gate entry log.
Her stated purpose was to administer a pre-race supplement injection — a routine procedure she had performed before every major race of Sovereign Light's career over the past three years.
The supplement administered was a licensed compound preparation containing:
Vitamin B12 — 500 micrograms
Iron dextran — 100 mg
Selenium — 0.5 mg
Dr. Venn's records show these components only. No acepromazine was included in the preparation.
Dr. Venn's statement: "I administered the supplement at 9:15 PM as documented. I have used this preparation with Sovereign Light before every major race for three years. It contains no sedative component of any kind. I left the yard at 9:28 PM. The horse was completely normal when I left."
SOVEREIGN LIGHT — FULL MEDICATION HISTORY
Dr. Venn provided Sovereign Light's complete medication history for the preceding 12 months.
Acepromazine appears once in the record — administered at 0.05 mg/kg on 14th March, eight months before the race, as a pre-anaesthetic agent before a minor surgical procedure to remove a benign skin growth.
No acepromazine had been administered since March. No acepromazine was scheduled or authorised for the pre-race period.
THE LICENSED DOSE — REFERENCE
For context Dr. Venn provided the standard acepromazine dosing reference for horses:
Therapeutic sedation dose: 0.02 to 0.05 mg/kg — administered by intravenous or intramuscular injection
For a horse of Sovereign Light's recorded weight — 512 kilograms — the therapeutic dose range is:
Minimum: 0.02 × 512 = 10.24 mg
Maximum: 0.05 × 512 = 25.6 mg
Dr. Venn noted one important consideration:
"Acepromazine is not typically administered orally in equine medicine — its oral bioavailability is poor and unpredictable compared to injection. However at sufficiently high oral doses meaningful blood concentrations can be achieved. The route of administration affects both the speed of onset and the total absorption — and therefore the blood concentration achieved from a given dose."
YOUR TASK
The veterinary records establish two important findings.
Dr. Venn administered a supplement containing no acepromazine. Her visit is documented and her departure time is confirmed. She is not the source of the prohibited substance.
The licensed therapeutic dose range for a horse of Sovereign Light's weight is 10.24 to 25.6 mg by injection.
The blood concentration recorded in Evidence File 01 was 0.23 mg/L.
Sovereign Light's blood volume is approximately 51 litres — standard for a thoroughbred of her weight.
Using these figures: total acepromazine in the bloodstream = 0.23 mg/L × 51 litres = approximately 11.7 mg
But this is the amount remaining in the blood at the time of sampling — not the total dose administered. Drug metabolism had already begun. The actual dose administered was higher.
Research how oral bioavailability affects drug absorption — and consider what dose would need to have been administered orally to produce a blood concentration of 0.23 mg/L after a period of metabolism. Evidence File 03 will use pharmacokinetics to answer that question precisely — and to establish when the acepromazine was given.
EVIDENCE FILE 03 +
EVIDENCE FILE 03 — PHARMACOKINETIC TIMELINE
Case Reference: BHA-2024-1109
Evidence Item: EV-03 — Drug metabolism analysis and administration window reconstruction
Prepared By: Dr. Claire Adeyemi, Racing Chemistry Laboratory
Date: Saturday — 11:00 AM
BACKGROUND
Evidence File 01 identified acepromazine in Sovereign Light's blood at 0.23 mg/L — sampled at 12:30 AM. Evidence File 02 confirmed no legitimate veterinary administration of acepromazine occurred that evening. This file uses pharmacokinetics — the science of how drugs move through the body over time — to establish when the acepromazine was administered and what dose was given.
PHARMACOKINETICS — KEY CONCEPTS
Pharmacokinetics describes how a drug is absorbed, distributed, metabolised, and eliminated by the body. Each of these processes follows predictable mathematical patterns — allowing investigators to work backward from a measured blood concentration to establish when and how much of a drug was administered.
Two parameters are critical for this analysis:
Half-life — the time required for the drug concentration in the blood to fall by half through metabolism and elimination. For acepromazine in horses the documented half-life is approximately 3.5 hours.
Time to peak concentration — for oral administration acepromazine reaches its maximum blood concentration approximately 1.5 to 2 hours after ingestion as the drug is absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract.
WORKING BACKWARD FROM THE MEASURED CONCENTRATION
Blood was sampled at 12:30 AM. The measured concentration was 0.23 mg/L.
Using the half-life of 3.5 hours Dr. Adeyemi worked backward to establish what the peak concentration was and when it occurred.
Step 1 — Identifying peak concentration timing:
The clinical signs recorded on Sovereign Light's admission — heart rate of 22 BPM, severe respiratory depression, hypothermia — are consistent with acepromazine toxicity at or near peak blood concentration.
Kieran Doyle found Sovereign Light collapsed at 11:40 PM. His 10:15 PM check recorded her as normal.
This places the collapse — and therefore peak clinical effect — between 10:15 PM and 11:40 PM.
The midpoint of this window — approximately 11:00 PM — is used as the estimated peak concentration time.
Step 2 — Calculating peak blood concentration:
Time elapsed from estimated peak (11:00 PM) to sampling (12:30 AM): 1.5 hours
Number of half-lives elapsed: 1.5 ÷ 3.5 = 0.43 half-lives
Concentration at peak = 0.23 × 2^0.43 = 0.23 × 1.35 = approximately 0.31 mg/L
Step 3 — Establishing ingestion time:
Oral acepromazine reaches peak blood concentration 1.5 to 2 hours after ingestion.
Working backward from estimated peak at 11:00 PM:
Ingestion 1.5 hours before peak: 9:30 PM
Ingestion 2.0 hours before peak: 10:00 PM
Estimated ingestion window: 9:30 PM to 10:00 PM
ESTIMATING THE ORAL DOSE
The measured blood concentration at sampling — combined with Sovereign Light's blood volume — allows an estimate of total acepromazine absorbed into the bloodstream.
Sovereign Light's blood volume: approximately 51 litres — standard for a thoroughbred of 512 kg
Total acepromazine in bloodstream at sampling: 0.23 mg/L × 51 L = 11.7 mg
Adjusting for metabolism elapsed since peak — approximately 1.5 hours at a half-life of 3.5 hours — the estimated total absorbed at peak:
11.7 × 2^0.43 = 11.7 × 1.35 = approximately 15.8 mg absorbed
Oral bioavailability of acepromazine in horses is documented at approximately 20 to 24% — meaning only 20 to 24% of an oral dose reaches the bloodstream. The remainder is destroyed by first-pass metabolism in the liver before entering systemic circulation.
To achieve 15.8 mg absorbed via oral administration:
At 20% bioavailability: 15.8 ÷ 0.20 = 79 mg administered
At 24% bioavailability: 15.8 ÷ 0.24 = 66 mg administered
Estimated oral dose administered: 66 to 79 mg
DR. ADEYEMI'S ASSESSMENT
"The pharmacokinetic analysis places oral ingestion between 9:30 PM and 10:00 PM. The estimated administered dose of 66 to 79 mg is significantly above the upper therapeutic limit of 25.6 mg by injection for a horse of this weight — but this comparison is not straightforward. Oral doses must be higher than injectable doses to achieve equivalent blood concentrations due to poor gastrointestinal absorption.
What is significant is the absorbed quantity — approximately 15 to 16 mg. This sits just below the upper therapeutic injectable dose of 25.6 mg. In a horse at rest this might produce heavy sedation rather than life-threatening toxicity. But Sovereign Light was not at rest. She was a racehorse on the eve of competition — with elevated baseline heart rate, heightened physiological arousal, and pre-race cardiovascular sensitivity. These factors alter the dose-response relationship significantly.
The calculation that produced this dose may have been based on a resting horse. The horse that received it was not resting."
YOUR TASK
The pharmacokinetic analysis has established two findings critical to the investigation.
Acepromazine was administered orally to Sovereign Light between 9:30 PM and 10:00 PM — after Dr. Venn's departure at 9:28 PM and before Kieran Doyle's check at 10:15 PM.
The estimated oral dose of 66 to 79 mg reflects knowledge of oral bioavailability — whoever administered this calculated that a higher oral dose was needed to compensate for poor gastrointestinal absorption. But the absorbed quantity — 15 to 16 mg — proved more dangerous than intended in a horse at peak pre-competition physiological state.
Research what oral bioavailability means and why drugs administered by mouth require higher doses than the same drug given by injection. Consider what the gap between the intended effect — sedation sufficient to prevent racing — and the actual effect — life-threatening cardiovascular depression — tells you about the knowledge of the person who calculated this dose.
The ingestion window of 9:30 PM to 10:00 PM is now established. Evidence File 04 will examine who had documented access to Sovereign Light during that precise window.
EVIDENCE FILE 04 +
EVIDENCE FILE 04 — ACCESS RECORDS AND STABLE CCTV
Case Reference: BHA-2024-1109
Evidence Item: EV-04 — Movement records and camera footage review
Prepared By: Dr. Maya Osei, BHA Integrity Investigation Unit
Date: Saturday — 2:00 PM
BACKGROUND
The pharmacokinetic analysis in Evidence File 03 established that acepromazine was administered orally to Sovereign Light between 9:30 PM and 10:00 PM. This file examines who had documented access to Sovereign Light during that window — using the yard's electronic gate log, staff movement records, and available CCTV footage.
CALLOWAY RACING — ACCESS SYSTEMS
The yard operates two access control points:
Main gate — vehicle and pedestrian entry from the road. Electronic keycard system. Every entry and exit logged with card ID and timestamp.
Stable block entrance — internal access to the stable corridor where Sovereign Light's box is located. Coded keypad. Entry logged by staff number.
GATE AND STABLE LOG — 9:00 PM TO 11:45 PM
9:10 PM — Dr. Sarah Venn — entry — main gate
9:28 PM — Dr. Sarah Venn — exit — main gate
Dr. Venn's movements are fully documented. She entered at 9:10 PM,
accessed the stable block, administered the supplement, and departed at 9:28 PM — two minutes before the pharmacokinetic window opens. She was not present during the administration window.
9:34 PM — Marcus Webb — stable block entry
9:52 PM — Marcus Webb — stable block exit
Marcus Webb entered the stable block at 9:34 PM — six minutes after Dr. Venn departed — and remained for 18 minutes. His entry falls at the opening of the pharmacokinetic administration window.
10:15 PM — Kieran Doyle — stable block entry
10:22 PM — Kieran Doyle — stable block exit
Kieran Doyle entered at 10:15 PM for a routine check. His yard log entry reads: "SL — all good — settled — eating normally."
10:58 PM — Kieran Doyle — stable block entry
11:00 PM — Kieran Doyle — stable block exit
A brief second check by Kieran Doyle — two minutes inside.
11:03 PM — Marcus Webb — main gate exit
Marcus Webb left the yard at 11:03 PM — consistent with the end of his rostered shift.
11:38 PM — Kieran Doyle — stable block entry
Kieran Doyle's final check of the evening — at which point he found Sovereign Light collapsed.
CCTV FOOTAGE — STABLE CORRIDOR
A single fixed camera covers the stable corridor outside Sovereign Light's box — positioned at the far end of the corridor facing the boxes.
9:34 PM to 9:52 PM — Marcus Webb:
Webb is visible entering the corridor at 9:34 PM carrying a small cloth bag. He approaches Sovereign Light's box and enters at 9:36 PM.
At 9:41 PM — five minutes after entering the box — Webb is seen briefly at the box door. His right hand appears to pass something toward the interior of the box at approximately chest height — consistent with offering something to the horse over the stable door.
He remains in or near the box until 9:50 PM before leaving the corridor at 9:52 PM.
The cloth bag appears visibly less full when he exits than when he entered.
The interior of Sovereign Light's box is not covered by the camera. What occurred inside during Webb's visit is not directly recorded.
10:15 PM to 10:22 PM — Kieran Doyle:
Doyle enters at 10:15 PM. Standard checks — water, hay net, brief physical assessment. He exits at 10:22 PM. Sovereign Light appears normal.
RICHARD OATES — MOVEMENTS
Investigators confirmed Richard Oates's movements through racecourse hospitality records and two independent witness accounts.
Oates arrived at the owners' and trainers' reception at 7:45 PM and was confirmed present continuously until 10:30 PM — by a fellow owner and a racecourse official who both spoke with him at various points throughout the evening.
The reception is located in the hospitality suite — accessed via the racecourse entrance on the opposite side of the stable block from Calloway Racing's yard.
The stable block keypad log shows no entry by any code associated with Richard Oates at any point during the evening.
No CCTV footage places Oates within the Calloway Racing stable area at any time.
YOUR TASK
The access records and CCTV footage have identified one person inside Sovereign Light's stable during the pharmacokinetic administration window — Marcus Webb, present from 9:36 PM to 9:50 PM.
The footage shows Webb passing something to the horse at 9:41 PM. His bag is visibly less full on exit.
Richard Oates — despite clear financial motive — was confirmed at the owners' reception until 10:30 PM with no access to the stable area.
Consider what the footage at 9:41 PM tells you about the method of administration. Research how acepromazine could be concealed in food or treats given to horses — and whether a horse would consume a bitter substance if it was effectively disguised.
The access records place Webb at the scene. The pharmacokinetic window places the administration during his visit. The footage is consistent with him offering something to the horse.
But who sent Marcus Webb to Calloway Racing — and why? Evidence File 05 will examine his background and financial records.
EVIDENCE FILE 05 +
EVIDENCE FILE 05 — BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION
Case Reference: BHA-2024-1109
Evidence Item: EV-05 — Personnel records and financial investigation
Prepared By: Dr. Maya Osei, BHA Integrity Investigation Unit
Date: Sunday — 10:00 AM
BACKGROUND
Evidence File 04 placed Marcus Webb inside Sovereign Light's stable during the pharmacokinetic administration window with footage consistent with offering something to the horse. This file examines who Marcus Webb is, how he came to be at Calloway Racing, and what his financial records reveal about the events leading up to the collapse.
MARCUS WEBB — BACKGROUND
Marcus Webb joined Calloway Racing on 25th October — fourteen days before the Hartwell Gold Cup — through the British Racing Industry Jobs Placement Scheme.
The scheme places candidates who have completed a basic equine care qualification into racing yards for work experience. Calloway Racing had registered a vacancy for a general stable hand six weeks earlier — a standard post that James Calloway filled regularly through the scheme.
Webb's application showed:
Equine care certificate: Level 2 — completed August
Previous experience: six months at a riding school in Shropshire
Reference: provided by the riding school — positive
Nothing in Webb's application was flagged during the scheme's standard vetting process.
Investigators contacted the riding school in Shropshire to verify Webb's reference.
The riding school confirmed Webb had worked there for six months. They also confirmed that his reference had been requested — unusually — not by the placement scheme but by a third party on Webb's behalf, approximately eight weeks before his placement at Calloway Racing began.
The riding school could not identify who had made the request.
FINANCIAL RECORDS
BHA investigators obtained a court order to examine Marcus Webb's bank records for the three months preceding the race.
Webb's account showed standard transactions consistent with his stated income until six weeks before the Hartwell Gold Cup — at which point two unusual deposits appeared:
7th October — £2,000 — cash deposit
21st October — £3,000 — bank transfer — originating account: Millfield Equine Consultancy Ltd
Total: £5,000 received in the six weeks before the race.
Marcus Webb's weekly wage at Calloway Racing was £380.
MILLFIELD EQUINE CONSULTANCY LTD
Investigators searched Companies House records for Millfield Equine Consultancy Ltd.
The company was registered four months before the race.
Registered address: a serviced office facility in Newmarket.
Stated purpose: "Consultancy services relating to equine performance and racing management."
Director: a single individual — listed under a nominee name.
BHA investigators requested further disclosure from Companies House and cross-referenced the nominee name against racing industry ownership records, financial filings, and syndicate registration documents held by the BHA.
The investigation identified a connection between the nominee director and the ownership syndicate behind Northern Star — the horse that moved from second to first favourite when Sovereign Light was scratched.
The full extent of that connection — and who within the syndicate was aware of or directed the payment to Marcus Webb — remains under active investigation at the time this report was filed.
THE PROTOCOL DOCUMENT
BHA investigators searched the room Marcus Webb had been renting for the duration of his placement at Calloway Racing.
Among his possessions they found a printed document — three pages — headed "Protocol — SL — pre-race."
The document contained instructions for administering a substance orally to a horse via sugar cubes — describing a method for crushing tablets, the quantity to use, and the timing relative to the horse's evening routine.
A dose figure was specified. A handwritten note in the margin showed a calculation.
The document was submitted to Dr. Adeyemi for assessment.
Her initial observation:
"The calculation in this document reflects an awareness of oral bioavailability — whoever wrote it understood that oral administration requires a higher dose than intravenous to achieve the same blood concentration. Whether the dose specified was correctly calculated for the specific circumstances — the weight of the horse, her physiological state the night before a major race — is a question the pharmacokinetic analysis in Evidence File 03 is directly relevant to."
The document contains no author identification. No fingerprints other than Webb's were recovered from its surface. The printer used to produce it has not been identified.
WEBB'S WHEREABOUTS
Marcus Webb did not report for work at Calloway Racing on the morning after the race.
Investigators attended his registered address. His room had been cleared of personal belongings.
At the time this report was filed Marcus Webb had not been located.
YOUR TASK
You now have all five Evidence Files.
The toxicology identified acepromazine at a life-threatening concentration. The veterinary records confirmed no legitimate administration occurred. The pharmacokinetic analysis established the ingestion window as 9:30 PM to 10:00 PM and estimated the oral dose at 66 to 85 mg. The access records and CCTV placed Marcus Webb inside Sovereign Light's stable during that window with footage consistent with offering something to the horse. And the background investigation has revealed £5,000 paid to Webb from a company connected to the syndicate behind the horse that stood to benefit most from Sovereign Light's withdrawal.
Using evidence from all five files — who administered the acepromazine, who instructed them, and what does the protocol document tell you about the gap between what was intended and what actually happened?
Consider the dose. The pharmacokinetic analysis established that the absorbed quantity — 14 to 15 mg — sat just below the upper therapeutic limit for a horse at rest. But Sovereign Light was not at rest. She was a racehorse on the eve of competition.
What does that tell you about whether the person who wrote the protocol understood the full consequences of what they were instructing — and where does moral and legal responsibility lie when a plan to prevent a race result nearly becomes something far more serious?
HAVE YOU SOLVED THE CASE?
Review the evidence and decide what you think happened. If you're investigating with others, discuss your findings and agree on your final verdict before revealing the answer.
Once your team has reached a conclusion, reveal the answer.