David Walsh faces another hefty ban after becoming the first British-based rider to fail a drug test for a second time.
The 25-year-old former champion conditional jump jockey spent two years on the sidelines after being handed a month's suspension for testing positive to amphetamines in 1997.
And he will appear again before the Jockey Club disciplinary committee tomorrow after analysis of the sample he gave at Cheltenham on November 13th last year was found to contain frusemide and amiloride.
He has admitted taking the diuretics as he battled with weight problems, claiming to be unaware that they were added to the Jockey Club's list of banned substances last year.
But Walsh vowed to return to race-riding and poured scorn on reports of his retirement from the saddle early this year.
The Irishman has not ridden since Valentine's Day but he said today: "I am not going to give up, I have just taken a break.
"The papers say I have given up but I haven't handed in my licence and for the time being I am just going to wait and see.
"I have had a lot of problems with my weight. I did use diuretics but I didn't know they were against the rules. I will have to see what happens tomorrow."
Jockey Club public relations officer John Maxse said that Walsh's possible "retirement" could influence his potential punishment if he was found guilty.
"The disciplinary committee will be aware of concerns about his future as a jockey," he said.
"The committee has complete freedom to determine a penalty. If it was a jockey riding regularly the punishment would be something like a 21-day ban.
"But Walsh isn't riding regularly, there is a doubt over his future and it is his second offence - though this is a different substance."
Walsh suffered weight problems after serving his 1997 suspension - imposed after traces of amphetamines were found in a post-race drug test.
He ended up working on a building site before relaunching his riding career in Australia.
After resuming in Britain in July he had six winners from 138 rides this season, gaining the latest at Catterick in January on Sailor Jack for Ginger McCain who supplied five of his winning mounts.
But it was all a long way removed from the early part of his career when he looked firmly destined for the top.
He gained 34 victories to share the 1996/7 claimers' championship with Barry Fenton and looked to have a bright future.
At the time he was riding for Nigel Twiston-Davies' stable, to which he had been attached since moving to this country from Ireland four years previously, and also benefited from the backing of Martin Pipe.
And he showed he could handle the pressure of riding in the big races when he was handed the Cheltenham Gold Cup ride on David Nicholson's Barton Bank.
Walsh had the slipshod jumper foot perfect at each of the stiff Cheltenham fences and inspired the gelding to his best run in years, finishing second to Mr Mulligan in the "Blue Riband" of steeplechasing.
He was rewarded by keeping the ride at Aintree the following month and repaid the faith by steering him to victory in the Martell Cup Chase - the gelding's first win since 1993 and the biggest victory of Walsh's career.
