RWWA Stewards advise that a number of additional initiatives will be in use to further enhance integrity and security measures for all feature races during this season’s Festival of Perth Racing at Ascot Racecourse.
Stewards intend to implement these initiatives forthwith and culminating on Tuesday, 1 January 2013 with the running of the Golden River Developments Perth Cup. Special emphasis will be given to Super Saturday on 24 November 2012 which features the Carlton Draught Railway Stakes, Crown Perth – Winterbottom Stakes and W. A. Guineas.
Among the new measures to be introduced will be regular stable visitations to examine all medications and records of treatment and the taking of samples for the purpose of Out Of Competition Testing from horses nominated for feature events. Stewards and RWWA Veterinarians will be regularly conducting routine stable visits of runners on the day prior to, or the day of the race to review security measures and establish horse identity and gear verification. Stewards will also be in regular attendance at track work to monitor the fitness of all horses nominated for feature races and all riders will be subjected to increased random drug testing at track work, trials and races.
Stewards also intend on utilising a portable TCO2 analyser on selected race days for preliminary screening to further refine selection strategies with regard to subsequent packaged samples for analysis by the Chemistry Centre WA, including post-race blood samples for TCO2 where deemed appropriate.
Extension of the number of races where there will be a mandatory requirement for trainers to present horses on course two hours prior to the event, inspection of floats and vehicles when arriving on course, and other strategies will also be deployed. This will be achieved by having an increased number of Stewards and RWWA Investigators present during these meetings.
Security guards will again be present at the stables of all horses competing in the Railway Stakes and Perth Cup and also for other selected horses in additional races at the discretion of the Stewards. All horses in these events will be required on course 2 hours prior to the race for the purpose of pre-race testing with the same requirements applying to the Burswood Winterbottom Stakes and W. A. Guineas. Trainers will be routinely notified of such requirements and reminded of their obligations to report to Stewards as soon as practicable any condition or occurrence which may affect the running of a horse in a race or any changes to riding tactics.
Following on from the recent announcement in regard to selected samples being referred to the Hong Kong Laboratory, as provided for by Australian Racing Rule 178DD, samples taken from runners will be subject to long-term storage and future analysis at the direction of the Stewards. Additional samples will be chosen for this purpose, including those out of competition tests taken at the stables.
To facilitate greater sampling numbers, in addition to the RWWA Industry Veterinarian, 2 other Veterinarians and an increased number of sample collection officers will be in attendance.
In recent months, Perth Racing have increased the number of barrier attendants present at all meetings to 10 which has greatly improved starting processes, and given the importance of preventing any barrier incidents in feature events, a further 2 attendants will be employed.
Stewards will again highlight to all riders the importance and expectations of them to ensure all races are run competitively, without incident. Riders will also be placed on notice that increased penalties are likely to result from rule breaches when competing in any of the feature events throughout this period which is now a well established and accepted principle.
DENIS N BOROVICA
General Manager Racing Integrity
Racing and Wagering Western Australia
70 Grandstand Road, ASCOT WA 6104
Mail: 14 Hasler Road, OSBORNE PARK WA 6017
TEL: (08) 9277 0777
Fax: (08) 9277 0702