'Doping' scandal embarrasses UK queen

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II has found herself at the centre of an embarrassing 'doping' claim after one of her racehorses failed a drug test.

'Moonlit Path', a six-year-old mare, was found to have been injected with tranexamic acid, a banned substance that prevents haemorrahaging, following her debut run at Huntington in February.

The Queen's long-time friend and trainer, old Etonian Nicky Henderson, was on Thursday charged by the British Horseracing Authority for allowing the drug to be administered.

The Queen's racing manager, Sir Michael Oswald, told the Daily Mail that the monarch had been informed and described it as "very disappointing news."

Tranexamic acid is a legitimate drug that is given to humans as well as animals to prevent heavy bleeding by increasing clot formation, the report said.

Due to the stress exerted on a horse's body while racing -- young animals in particular are prone to haemorrhaging --they can often be seen with a nose bleed at the end of a strenuous run and trainers are permitted to administer the drug in advance of a race.

However, it must have cleared the horse's body by the time it comes to compete because British regulations require all animals to be totally drug-free on race day.