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Aidan O’Brien has withdrawn all four of his horses from Sunday’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in Paris after they tested positive for a banned substance.
The prohibited substance is suspected of being in contaminated feed.
The Irish coach was set to race Mogul, Japan, Serpentine and Sovereign in Europe’s richest race, which Enable aims to win for a record third time.
His sons Joseph and Donnacha have also recalled horses that were supposed to run in other races at the meeting.
A total of 11 horses trained by the trio will be absent.
“Unfortunately, the results of urine samples taken from the horses have come back positive in the French laboratory,” said a statement from O’Brien’s Ballydoyle Racing base.
“There is a possibility that the pollutant has left his system at the time of Sunday’s race, however we have no guarantee of this.”
“To protect the integrity of the races, we have decided to withdraw all our horses from the races (on Sunday).
“Joseph and Donnacha O’Brien will do the same.”
British coach Roger Varian, who uses the same food supplier, withdrew his seven planned runners from meetings on Saturday.
On Friday night the ability of Aidan O’Brien’s running backs to run in the ParisLongchamp match was questioned.
France Galop announced that five horses had tested positive for the banned substance Zilpaterol, which was suspected to be in contaminated animal feed.
O’Brien’s two runners in France on Saturday received the go-ahead to run after urine samples sent to the Irish Equine Center came out clean.
But his contenders for the Arc had yet to get the go-ahead, and the withdrawals will throw a cloud over a long-awaited encounter.
Aidan O’Brien’s top Arc contender, Love, was retired earlier in the week after heavy rains left the officer very soft.
The absence of her quartet leaves Enable, Frankie Dettori’s mount for British trainer John Gosden, in front of 10 rivals, with the peloton reduced from 15 to 11. She is now the overall favorite for a historic success.
Aidan also removed St Mark’s Basilica from the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere, as the O’Brien family-trained horses were removed from a total of three other Group One races.
Joseph was to be the main Pretty Gorgeous contender at the Prix Marcel Boussac, while Fancy Blue will miss the Prix de l’Opera for Donnacha.
