Straight Up – A marker for the future, Phoenix’s chapter closing and Queanbeyan query
In this edition:
- ‘Giving the horse a voice’ – RA backs landmark lameness biomarker study
- Shifting sands: Phoenix void filled by Brookdale Racing
- State government to examine process over Racing NSW’s Queanbeyan land management role
- Rowe on Monday – Prominent WA breeders go it alone for Magic Millions, Argentinian interest in Shaggy’s sire
- Run The Numbers – The question of Lonhro’s legacy
- Straight Shorts – Tuesday February 18 – Katsumi’s new home
- Straight Shorts – Monday February 17 – Hopes grow for Cummings family Leilani Lodge lifeline, five slots to fill in NZB Kiwi, Hyeronimus keeps Shaggy ride
- Saturday Shorts: Skybird’s Lightning upset and Fangirl lands Apollo
Equine welfare remains one of the greatest challenges for the thoroughbred industry. It is a complex issue with many facets, and which requires strong leadership to manage.
One of the first aspect of Racing Australia’s role description on its website is the “adherence to world’s best practice standards of integrity and animal welfare”.
Regardless of interstate politics, RA should be the clear national voice on this issue, but it has criticised for a lack of progress.
Research remains one of the key opportunities for major progress on welfare, and to Racing Australia’s credit, it has used its Research and Development Fund, itself funded by a $10 levy on thoroughbred registrations, to support a key study into lameness and injury in racehorses.
A co-ordinated study between RA’s Equine Genetics Research Centre (EGCA), private company TeleMedVET and the University of Western Australia, will assess thoroughbreds in training across three states over a 12-month period.
Hopefully, this can be the first of many studies which can impact the outcomes surrounding equine welfare.
AI represents a generational opportunity in medical research and it would be a huge opportunity lost for the thoroughbred industry if it didn’t utilise that to further its understanding of the equine athletes which underpin the sport.
Phoenix Thoroughbreds colours have been carried to victory in some of Australia’s biggest races over the past seven years, including the Golden Slipper. But the racing and breeding outfit is exiting after several years mired in rumour and controversy.
Stepping up in its place is Brookdale Racing, another Bahraini-backed outfit which will assume ownership of some of Australia’s best credentialed racing stock and best-performed broodmares. Who are they? Tim Rowe investigates.
We reported last week that Racing NSW had recently assumed Crown land management of five racecourses.
Well, the circumstances of the transfer at least one of those racecourses, Queanbeyan, are set for review by the Minns government after questions were raised about the process which was undertaken.
In this week’s Rowe On Monday, Tim is headed to Perth for the Magic Millions sale and spoke to studmaster and vendor Brent Atwell about a change in approach for Darling View Thoroughbreds, as well as looking at where emerging sire Sandbar could have ended up at the start of his breeding career.
Rowe on Monday
Prominent WA breeders go it alone for Magic Millions, Argentinian interest in Shaggy’s sire
Run The Numbers reflects on the legacy of the legendary Lonhro, in light of his granddaughter Skybird winning Saturday’s Lightning Stakes.
That result highlighted our Saturday race coverage, Saturday Shorts, as well as Chris Waller’s trifecta in the Apollo Stakes. Monday’s Straight Shorts led off on the evolving situation at Leilani Lodge.
Thanks for your support of The Straight. If you have any feedback for us or any story suggestions, feel free to email editor@thestraight.com.au.
Regards
Bren O’Brien
Managing Editor and Founder
The Straight
Author
