Irish Turf Club to expand drug testing in 2015

The Irish Turf Club will expand its drug testing regime for 2015, with rigorous testing for

horses both in- and out-of-training.

As of January 1 next year, all horses in- or out-of-training, or

for whom a hunter certificate has been issued after that date, will be liable for testing at any

time. Discussions will continue with a view to extending the testing to include all horses as

early as possible after birth, with a commencement date of January 1, 2016, set for those discussions.

The Turf Club will work with various enforcement agencies, including the Department of Agriculture, with a

view to putting in place formal information sharing arrangements. The

organization will also work with the Department of Agriculture to designate Turf Club veterinary officers as

Authorized Officers to give them powers of search and seizure.

The Turf Club continues

to work with scientific experts to develop hair-testing methodologies, and will require all

licensees to disclose, on an annual basis as part of their license application, if they are

under investigation for any matter that may influence the granting of a license.

The announcement

of the changes come weeks after it was revealed that Irish jumps trainers Philip Fenton and

Pat Hughes are being charged by the Irish Department of Agriculture for the possession of

illegal drugs.

The Irish Turf Club noted that it fully endorses the position announced by the

International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) last October that anabolic steroids have no

place in horse racing, and that they should not be permitted in- and out-of-competition.

"While the Turf Club already has an extensive and

successful drug testing regime in place, it is an area that is under constant review and where we would

never be complacent," Turf Club Chief Executive Officer Dennis Egan said. "In 2013, the

Turf Club tested 3,207 samples out of which three were found to be positive. All winners on

the racecourse are tested for prohibited substances while Turf Club Veterinary Officers

also visit trainers' yards and take samples from horses in training.

"The Turf Club will use every resource

at its disposal to ensure that Irish racing is kept as clean as possible and free from drugs,"

Egan continued.

"Over the next two years we will significantly enhance the out-of-competition testing that

we carry out, with the result that we will be able to test a lot more horses that previously we

did not have access to.

"Recent developments have pointed for the need to extend the drug

testing regime particularly into the area where horses are out of training, and also to seek new

powers to enable the Turf Club veterinary officers inspect premises for illegal

drugs."

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