Ascot is relishing the return to the royal meeting of the iconic Australian sprinter, Takeover Target, and his former taxi driver trainer, Joe Janiak. Together, they are box-office. But at least one leading British trainer believes the horse should not have been invited.

Mark Johnston has no argument with any financial inducements Ascot might have offered. His issue is with the drugs that Janiak admits administering to his star horse. In his house magazine, Kingsley Klarion, the Scot addresses the subject in a comment piece illustrated by an oiled-up bodybuilder with a horse's head and headlined “Invitation to Cheat?”

Takeover Target failed a dope test in Hong Kong, late in 2006, but Johnston is not prepared to forgive, pointing out that Janiak “claimed he has done nothing wrong, that ‘everybody uses it' and that he will keep using it”.

“As I understand the rules of racing in this country on drug use, it is an offence to administer a prohibited substance to a horse with intent to affect the racing performance ... it strikes me that Mr Janiak is guilty under those rules and that if I was to admit administering anabolic steroids to one of my horses I would be liable to have my licence to train withdrawn.

“I cannot, therefore, understand how a horse which has previously tested positive for a prohibited substance and whose trainer has freely admitted administering the drug, can be invited to participate in a race in this country.”

Johnston, who may himself lose a recent winner after a positive test thought to be connected with contaminated horse feed, reiterated his stance when contacted by Diary. Nick Smith, head of public relations for Ascot, responded: “It is for the BHA to make the rules and they have no bar on inviting such horses.”

The fallout from the farcical Old Bailey race-fixing trial may not be over. Despite two reviews published last week, in which the BHA and the police exonerated themselves of any blame, Kieren Fallon's high-powered legal team is not prepared to let the matter drop. They still await a response to a report on the trial sent to the Attorney-General. And many of the niggling issues of the trial could be played out again if certain legal actions against newspapers ever get to court.

Peter Savill, the one leader of British racing everyone remembers, has an appropriately named candidate for the Ascot Gold Cup in Royal And Regal. Savill, though, is looking forward just as much to the day following the meeting, when two teams of international players will contest a grand opening game on his private cricket ground. Savill has been working on the project for some years at his stud in Co Wicklow and, as you would expect, the result is immaculate.

Lingfield's renaissance continues apace and, two years from now, when random ancient buildings have been replaced by a £26 million hotel, spa and golf clubhouse, it will look still better. The work remains on schedule despite the discovery of numerous bats in the old stands. Arena Leisure, the parent company, brought in an expert to relocate them before demolition began.

The Surrey track is also at the forefront of the continuing boom in female attendance. On three Saturdays in June, while the Euro 2008 football championship might be distracting the male population, Lingfield is staging “Girls' Nights Out”, with a live band after racing. So popular have such themed occasions become that Haydock has scheduled no fewer than four “Ladies' Nights” this summer, starting tomorrow.

Harry Findlay says he has given up betting on tennis, a sport which once occupied much of his legendary punting activity. Findlay, though, remains fascinated and admires Rafael Nadal so much he has named a horse after him. “His nickname is Pearl of Manacor and I've reserved the name at Weatherbys,” Findlay explains. “The horse that gets it will have to be a serious aeroplane.”