Maintaining welfare and integrity in Australian Racing

Each year, thousands of Australian thoroughbreds compete in racing. Illness and training injuries are common, but there is still uncertainty about treatment regimes, excretion and detection periods for many important therapeutic drugs. Furthermore, there is a growing problem of the off-label use of registered drugs. These can place in peril the horse's welfare, the reputation of the trainer and/or owner, and the integrity of racing.

This research provides the probability of breaching the detection level at any time-point after drug administration. This approach to maintaining a drug-free environment is highly innovative and has been adopted overseas. This project builds on previous work by producing reliable blood and urinary excretion data for important equine drugs not previously assessed. The project will be expanded to investigate drugs administered off-label including those registered for use in other species (e.g. ibruprofen).