JOCKEY DAVY RUSSELL has moved quickly to deny any impropriety after he failed to present himself for a scheduled drugs test yesterday afternoon.

At the start of yesterday’s card at Naas, the jockey was informed by stewards that he would be required to supply a mandatory urine sample. However, he failed to present himself until 5:50, a number of hours later than expected.

Commenting on Russell’s absence, Turf Club chief executive Denis Egan said that “when the inquiry was being held, no one knew where he was. He just disappeared.”

In a statement of his own yesterday evening, the jockey attempted to clarify the reason behind his delayed appearance, claiming that the test had “slipped his mind” and that he had actually left the race-course before realising.

There was too much going on as I was in for a stewards’ inquiry after the Woodlands Park Chase and I was involved in the ‘jockey Olympics’ and looking at entries and it just slipped my mind.

I forgot and left the track and it was an error on my part but I came back to give a urine sample when I got a call, so there shouldn’t be any problem.

The racecourse stewards have referred the matter to the Turf Club for further investigation.

This is not the first time that Russell has been involved in a testing controversy. In September, he failed a breath test for alcohol at Listowel. However, he passed a second test shortly afterwards and was deemed fit to ride, claiming that the negative test may have been caused by his use of mouthwash.