RWWA is pleased to announce that as from the new racing season several important enhancements in Racing Integrity measures are being applied across all codes of racing.
The RWWA Integrity department will be significantly increasing their activities with respect to Out of Competition Testing and non-race day activities. To assist with significantly heightened levels of non-race activity, provisions have been made to obtain the services of an additional Veterinarian to assist Stewards and Investigators in the conduct of these operations, which will include areas outside of the major metropolitan and provincial venues.
The additional veterinary resource will be complemented by the establishment of a new position within the Stewards department that will focus exclusively on non-race day operations, such as stable/kennel inspections, sampling of animals and riders/drivers at varying times, surveillance operations and other investigative field work.
RWWA’s investment in the maintenance of integrity for the new season in relation to animal swab analysis costs has increased to $1.2 million for 2014/15.
The increase in swabbing budget will enable for the first time, a significant increase in the rate of winners swabbed in the harness code, with RWWA employing additional resources to enable every winner at Gloucester Park (including midweek meetings) and major provincial venues to be swabbed. This will bring the rate of swabbing in harness to same level as already applies in thoroughbreds.
In the past year RWWA has taken almost 9,000 samples across the three codes of racing which will rise to unprecedented levels next year as a result of the increased investment in this area.
The ChemCentre (WA), who RWWA contracts for all its analysis, is one of only two laboratories currently approved in Australia to screen samples for cobalt levels. RWWA has undertaken screening of a large number of samples across both equine codes in relation to cobalt. This has included some retrospective testing of samples that had previously been retained or stored. Such testing for this and other banned substances will continue, with the potential for action to be taken against a person’s licence where it is appropriate to do so.
RWWA will also continue to identify samples for storage which may be subject to retrospective testing either in Western Australia or elsewhere as may become appropriate in time.
These additional measures will be in place and apply for the upcoming carnivals in addition to the usual higher levels of activity which includes the placement of security guards on selected feature races.
RWWA General Manager Racing Integrity, Mr Denis Borovica has said “The integrity of racing and the confidence of the punter that it is a level playing field across all codes are paramount to this industry”. “As Stewards, we will stop at nothing to maintain this confidence and use every resource at our disposal
to do so.” “These new measures and commitments ensure WA is keeping pace with the new and emerging threats to integrity and through enhanced testing and storage of samples, any cases that suggest improper use of substances contrary to rules will be pursued to the fullest extent with severe penalties likely to follow”.
Media Contact:
Denis Borovica – General Manager Racing Integrity Ph: 9445 5427 denis.borovica@rwwa.com.au