Doping scandal for… The Queen of England? Her racehorse tested positive for banned drug

Well, that’s one part of a headline I never thought I’d write! Buckingham Palace announced on Tuesday that Queen Elizabeth’s racehorse, Estimate, tested positive for morphine.

“A number of post-race samples, obtained from recent race meetings, had been found to indicate the presence of morphine, which is a prohibited substance on race days. Five horses, under the care of various trainers, were affected,” said the Queen’s racing advisor, John Warren. “One of those horses was Estimate, the five year-old filly trained by Sir Michael Stoute and owned by The Queen.”

The racing advisor said the Queen has been informed of the situation. He added the situation seems to be due to “a contaminated feed product” and said trainer Sir Michael Stoute will work closely with the feed company to learn more.

Although it sounds like a simple mistake, Queen Elizabeth may have to return her $80,000 winnings from Estimate’s second-place finish in this year’s Gold Cup. Fortunately, the horse’s win in the June 2013 event will likely remain unaffected. It was the first time in more than 200 years that a reigning monarch’s horse took home the prestigious race’s top honor.