1. Owners’ Responsibility

The Australian Racing Board (ARB) has made important reforms to the Australian Rules of Racing, with owners now responsible for notifying racing authorities of a horse’s retirement from racing.

Effective from today, 1 July 2014, a new rule (AR 64JA) has been introduced making it compulsory for the Managing Owner (Manager) of a horse to notify Racing Information Services Australia (RISA) when their horse has been retired. There is no fee to do so.

The Manager will be asked to advise why the horse has been retired and what their plan is for the horse post-racing (for example breeding, equestrian or live stock sale).

The ARB, together with Racing Victoria and the other state Principal Racing Authorities (PRAs), has introduced this rule in recognition of the fact that the retirement of racehorses is a vitally important welfare issue.

The data gained by these reforms will provide the industry with greater insight into the reasons horses retire and their activities post racing, thus supplying statistics which can be used to better direct education and welfare initiatives, and be fed back to trainers and owners.

The notification is to be made by lodging the Retirement of Racehorses or Death Notification Form available on the RISA website (www.risa.com.au) under the Registrar of Racehorses/ Forms tab.

The form must be completed within 30 days of your horse’s retirement. Once your horse is retired, it will be ineligible to race without the permission of the stewards.

Your assistance in tracking the future retirement of racehorses is greatly appreciated.

To access the Retirement of Racehorses form click here.

2. Trainers’ Responsibility

For your information, the rules have also been amended to make it clear that where a horse has not been retired and it dies, the trainer of your horse is required to notify Racing Victoria (or the relevant PRA) of the death.

The trainer is required to lodge an amended stable return in relation to the deceased horse. When completing this stable return via RISA’s Stable Assist service, trainers will be encouraged to advise the cause of death to further assist in gathering improved data.

3. Rule Changes

The changes to the Australian Rules of Racing effective from 1 July 2014 are:

New rule: AR 64JA

1.     Where a horse has been retired from racing, the Manager (as defined in AR.1) of the horse at time of its retirement must, within one month of the horse’s retirement, notify the Registrar (RISA) by lodging the relevant form prescribed by the Registrar (RISA).

2.      Where a form has been lodged in accordance with AR 64JA(1), the retired horse will cease to be registered and is ineligible to race unless it is re-registered.

3.     Where a horse ceases to be registered under this Rule, the horse may not be re-registered except with the express permission of the Stewards.

4.     Any person who fails to comply with AR 64JA(1) commits a breach of these Rules and may be penalised.

Amended rule: AR 64J

1.     Upon the death of a horse which had not been retired, the trainer or his or her authorised agent must report the occurrence to the relevant Principal Racing Authority or their agent as soon as practicable.

2.     In the event of the deceased horse being included in a current stable return the trainer must as soon as practicable lodge an amended stable return in relation to the death.

3.     Any person who fails to comply with the provisions of sub-rules (1) or (2) commits a breach of these Rules unless he or she proves to the satisfaction of the Stewards that he or she was not aware, and could not reasonably have been aware, of the death of the horse.

Contact us

If you have any further queries please contact Racing Victoria via information@ racingvictoria.net.au or phone (03) 9258 4258.