Racing Australia Annual Report 2016

RACING AUSTRALIA ANNUAL REPORT 2016

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Integrity and a drug free racing environment are critical

to public confidence in the thoroughbred racing and

breeding industry. Equally important is ensuring the

health and welfare of our horses. It is our aim that

Australia’s Rules of Racing represent world’s best

practice and meet community standards.

Racing Australia has introduced the most significant

integrity and animal welfare reforms in modern racing

history in respect of full traceability of all horses. Racing

Australia worked with industry participants to clarify

and introduce the new Rules of Racing relating to

traceability.

These new Rules ensure that there is traceability of all

thoroughbred horses from birth until retirement when

they are no longer active in the thoroughbred racing

industry. Further, the ownership of all horses will be

registered from birth. The requirement for traceability

and declaration of ownership greatly strengthens animal

welfare and integrity oversight and enforcement.

Scheduled for release in early 2017 after

comprehensive review, is the modernisation and re-

write of the Australian Rules of Racing. This has been

undertaken to provide a robust framework for securing

the integrity of the racing industry.

Also to take effect in 2017, will be the Trainer and Owner

Reforms (TOR) which will modernise industry practice by

standardising the arrangements between owners and

trainers, and also agreements between co-owners. The

TOR will provide greater clarity and certainty between

owners and trainers as well as between co-owners.

For the first time there will be a compulsory Standard

Training Agreement between trainers and owners which

will set out the rights and obligations of both parties.

Importantly, safeguards are built into the Standard

Training Agreement whereby a trainer and owner each

have the right to refer disputes in relation to fees and

disbursements to an independent Training Disputes

Tribunal. Too often Co-owners operate informally and

this can lead to numerous misunderstandings and

disputes to the detriment of the industry. The new

Co-owners Agreement gives co-owners access to a set

of terms to help regulate their horse ownership venture

including co-owners racing a horse together, selling

all or some of an interest in a horse, or conducting

breeding activities in relation to a horse.

These reforms are the result of comprehensive and

lengthy consultation with stakeholders and will do much

to reduce disputation within our industry.

On behalf of the Board I thank and acknowledge the

Chief Executive Officer Peter McGauran and Operations

Chief Executive Officer Myles Foreman for successfully

leading the company during a year of consolidation,

reform and commercial growth.

In particular I pay tribute to Peter who will leave the

organisation for another position allied with racing

in December 2016. As Chief Executive Officer of the

Australian Racing Board and its successor Racing

Australia for almost five years, Peter has led major

reforms and development at a national level including

the establishment of Racing Australia and the

introduction of significant integrity and welfare reforms

which will have a lasting benefit for the industry.

Finally, I would like to thank all of the Racing Australia

staff for their dedication, enthusiasm and commitment

to the continued evolution of first-class services and

support to the thoroughbred racing and breeding

industry across Australia.

John Messara AM

Chairman