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Racing Australia media release

After an extensive period of consultation and industry review, the Racing Australia Board has finalised and approved a broad set of new traceability rules. The new rules will enhance and extend the traceability of Thoroughbred horses during breeding, racing and retirement while they are within the industry’s jurisdiction.

By better aligning and strengthening the Rules of the Australian Stud Book and the Australian Rules of Racing, the Principal Racing Authorities and Racing Australia will have a greater ability to track horses to help support improved equine welfare outcomes.

“Over the past twelve months the Principal Racing Authorities and Racing Australia have consulted extensively with the racing and breeding industry to ensure these enhanced rules and operational procedures will achieve the intended outcomes,” said Greg Nichols, Racing Australia Chair.

Among other things, the traceability rules will:

• require Trainers and Owners to more regularly update the status and location of their horses;
• require Breeders to provide more information regarding ownership, movement and status of their horses;
• extend industry participants’ traceability notification obligations beyond a horse’s retirement from racing or breeding; and
• impose stricter penalties on industry participants who fail to comply with their traceability notification obligations.

“The introduction of these new traceability rules is the next step in the Principal Racing Authorities’ and Racing Australia’s ongoing commitment to achieving greater transparency of horse movements and, by doing so, realising improved equine welfare outcomes,” said Myles Foreman, Racing Australia CEO.

In the coming months, Racing Australia will undertake and complete further improvements to its systems and processes to support the implementation of the new traceability rules.

Consistent with Racing Australia’s strategy for the new myhorseracing.horse portal to be the one location for all Racing Australia related industry functions, the launch of these new rules on 1 May 2021 will coincide with the launch of the new Australian Stud Book systems.

For the first time, this will combine the industry’s breeding and racing technology systems, significantly enhancing the industry’s ability to effectively deliver greater traceability, transparency and equine welfare outcomes.

From early 2021, Racing Australia will commence direct communication with Owners, Trainers and Breeders, in which the benefits of and obligations under these new traceability rules will be conveyed.

This will ensure the industry’s participants are fully aware of what is required of them well in advance of the 1 May 2021 commencement date.