According to accounts in the Australian press, the Australian stewards have approved a policy that will require Thoroughbred trainers to report any surgery undergone by horses in their care. The decision was reached during the steward’s annual National Policy Conference, held in Melbourne this week.
“There was a rumour So You Think (NZ) (High Chaparral (Ire) had had a throat operation, and in the finish, we made it our business to find out,” Racing Victoria Limited Chief Steward Terry Bailey told the Herald-Sun. “But we don’t want a repeat of that occurrence. Trainers need to be more conscious of the punter. Now they will be required to report any sort of surgery, whether it be upper respiratory or even any sign of lameness or gait dysfunction. Any horse, any time, if something happened, we believe the customer has the right to know.” Stewards questioned So You Think trainer Bart Cummings after it came to their attention that the 2009 G1 Cox Plate winner had a surgical procedure to correct a throat problem during the off season at the beginning of 2010. Cummings insisted his charge was fit for his return in the 10 G2 Memsie S., and So You Think proved him right with a handy victory.
The new policy must now be approved and implemented by Australia major racing clubs.
