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Racing Australia Annual Report 2015
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER'S
REPORT
The formation of Racing Australia gives the
Australian industry unprecedented opportunities to
comprehensively address the most important issues
faced by each State and Territory jurisdiction.
Principal amongst them are: integrity, animal welfare and
modernization of industry practices. Racing Australia has
been quick to identify and act on these key issues. I will
address each in turn.
1. INTEGRITY
In 2014 the former Australian Racing Board introduced
some of the most stringent controls on drug
administration yet seen in world racing: a ban on
the use of anabolic steroids throughout the entire
life of a Thoroughbred, a ban on the application of
alkalizing agents (stomach tubing) one clear day before
racing and an 8 clear day stand down time after the
administration of intra-articular corticosteroids.
The Racing Australia Board has followed suit by banning
injections one clear day before a race from 1 October,
2015. The ban extends to blood tests, vitamin injections
and all other injections of any kind.
There is no scientific evidence to support a health and
welfare imperative to treat horses by hypodermic injection
within one clear day of racing, whilst there are a number of
very good integrity reasons to restrict the administration of
any substances by hypodermic injection within that period.
Racing Australia believes that there is an unjustifiable
reliance on intravenous injections close to race
day. Integrity concerns demand a reform to long
established practices that are not essential to the
health and welfare of the horse.
Racing Australia will continue to respond to integrity
challenges as they arise to ensure a completely fair
and equitable competition for all participants and to
maintain punter confidence in the sport. There can be
no compromise on integrity in racing.
To this end, Racing Australia places the greatest
importance on the Federal Government’s Review on
the Impact of Illegal Offshore Wagering commenced in
October, 2015 and continuing into 2016.
Racing Australia has made a submission to the Review
stating that illegal offshore wagering is significant and
is an unacceptable threat to the integrity of racing and
sport. The threat relates to the potential corruption of
racing (and other sports) arising from online gambling
provided by offshore unregulated wagering operators
who lack any form of regulatory accountability and have
suspected links to organised crime.
To address the problem, Racing Australia believes that
the exclusion of wagering services under the Interactive
Gambling Act 2001 (C’th) should be redefined so that
it would be legal for a wagering operator to provide
services to Australian customers if the wagering
operator holds:
• a wagering licence issued under relevant State or
Territory legislation; or
• a race fields approval (or sports equivalent) under
relevant State or Territory legislation with respect to
the relevant race or sporting event.
This proposal is designed to manage and mitigate the
integrity threat posed by unregulated offshore wagering
by requiring operators to comply with regulation
Racing Australia will continue to
respond to integrity challenges as
they arise to ensure a completely
fair and equitable competition for
all participants and to maintain
punter confidence in the sport.
There can be no compromise on
integrity in racing.
Peter McGauran,
Chief Executive Officer
