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GREAVES FACES DRUGS HEARING

Top woman jockey Alex Greaves has failed a drug test, it emerged today.

The 32-year-old will face a Jockey Club disciplinary committee hearing next Thursday after testing positive for a banned diuretic.

Greaves, who is married to Thirsk trainer David Nicholls, has broken new ground for her sex in racing since riding her first winner in 1989, notably becoming the first to partner a Group One winner.

But now she has become the first woman rider to fail a drug test.

Jockey Club public relations officer John Maxse said this morning: 'I can confirm that there will be a disciplinary committee hearing on August 3rd which will be into a positive sample given by Alex Greaves in the spring.

'It was a form of diuretic and this is the second positive since they were added to the prohibited list last June.'

The first jockey to test positive to diuretics, generally used to aid weight loss, was David Walsh, whose subsequent fine of #200 should not be taken as a guide to any possible penalty in this case as he had given up race-riding at the time of his hearing.

Greaves, who gained her biggest success dead-heating for the Nunthorpe Stakes on the Nicholls-trained Ya Malak in 1997, has ridden five winners to date this year.