Sports

Godolphin trainer banned

In one of the biggest bombshells to drop on English horse racing since the Blitz, trainer Mahmood al Zarooni, 37, who has trained horses since 2010 for the powerhouse Godolphin stable of Sheikh Mohammed, the ruler of Dubai, was banned for eight years by the British Horseracing Authority after 11 of his horses tested positive for two banned anabolic steroids.

In addition, 15 of Godolphin’s high-priced thoroughbreds — the 11 that tested positive, and four others that Zarooni admitted injecting with steroids — have been suspended from racing for six months, through Oct. 8.

“The length of suspension reflects the period beyond which the BHA is confident that the horses in question can have derived no performance related benefit from the administration of these prohibited substances,” the BHA said in a statement.

After the bans were handed down, Godolphin’s racing manager Simon Crisford said, “I would like to apologize to Sheikh Mohammed, to all at Godolphin, and to fans of British racing. It was a terrible day for British racing and Godolphin. Zarooni was reckless, and we are sorry as he was ours.”

Ironically, last month Oliver Tait, the COO of Sheikh Mohammed’s Darley stable, resigned from the board of the Breeders’ Cup because the board backtracked on its decision to ban the anti-bleeder drug Lasix from the Breeders’ Cup races.

ed.fountaine@nypost.com

ed.fountaine@nypost.com