Updated: 1 August 2022
Issued: October 2013
NOTICE TO TRAINERS, PERMITTED VETERINARIANS AND INDUSTRY PARTICIPANTS
Introduction
Trainers and Permitted Veterinarians should take particular note that the stomachtubing of a horse, and the administration of alkalinising agents, both on the day of racing and during the one Clear Day prior to the day of the race remain prohibited under the Rules of Racing.
AR 247 prohibits the administration of alkalinizing agents within one Clear Day of racing.
AR 255 prohibits the procedure of stomach tubing (naso-gastric intubation) within one Clear Day of racing.
A Clear Day is defined within AR 2 to mean a twenty-four-hour period from 12:00 a.m. to 11.59pm. For practical purposes, a Clear Day restriction means that the calculation of the number of days for which the procedure or treatment is banned does not include the day of treatment nor the day of racing.
For example, the restriction on both stomach-tubing and the administration of alkalinizing agents is one Clear Day. This means that if a horse is racing on a Saturday, the last time it may be stomach-tubed, or be administered alkalinizing agents, is 11:59 pm on the previous Thursday. In this case, the Clear Day is the Friday.
A Clear Day is not the 24-hour period prior to the time of racing.
Administration of alkalinising agents
Applying the definition of “one Clear Day”, AR 247 makes it an offence to administer, attempt to administer or cause to be administered any substance that meets the definition within the rule of an ‘alkalinising agent’.
For the purposes of AR 247, an alkalinising agent is any substance that may elevate the plasma TCO2 of a horse, when administered by any route, with the exception of balanced, commercial electrolyte supplements which may contain some alkalinising agents, but which can be demonstrated to have negligible effects on plasma TCO2 when administered in feed according to the manufacturer’s recommendations for normal daily use.
AR 247 prohibits the administration of alkalinising agents by any route within the one Clear Day of racing, including in feed.
Alkalinising agents that must not be administered either on the day of the race or within the one Clear Day of racing include, but are not limited to, bicarbonates, citrates, succinates, acetates, propionates, maleates, lactates and trometamol (THAM, tris buffer or trometamine) and also include products marketed as urinary alkalinisers and hind gut buffers.
Products that contain alkalinising agents and which fall within the definition include proprietary formulations such as: Sodium Bicarbonate (“bicarb”), Baladene®, Lang's Solution® for intravenous use, Neutra-Syrup®, Neutralka®, Neutrolene®, Neutrolene Plus® and Neutradex® and any other products that are marketed as lactic acid buffering or neutralising products.
These products must not be administered within one Clear Day prior to racing or to competing in an official trial or jump-out.
Balanced electrolyte supplements and potassium supplements that contain electrolytes may be administered or fed in normally recommended amounts within the one Clear Day of racing. Examples of normal balanced electrolyte products would include such proprietary preparations as Applyte Gel®, Electromix®, Electro Paste®, Electrovite Paste®, Endura-Max®, Endura-Max Paste®, Equicharge® Horsport® Humidimix®, KelatoLYTE Electrolyte Replacer®, Ranvet Electrolytes®, Recharge®, Restore® and Vetsense®.
Commercial electrolyte supplements which may contain some alkalinising agents, but which should have negligible effects on plasma TCO2 when administered in feed according to the manufacturers’ recommendations for normal daily use include Equilyte®, Race Electrolyte®, and Salkavite®.
Examples of commercial balanced intravenous solutions that can be used up to and including the day prior to racing, but not pre-race on the day of the race, include Darrow’s Solution®, Hartmann’s Solution® and Lactated Ringers Solution.
Regardless of the operation of AR 247, in the event that an elevated level of TCO2 beyond the threshold is detected from any sample taken by the Stewards, the rule does not provide a defence to a charge laid against a person under AR 240 or AR 241. Consequently, even if a product that is described or may be described as a ‘balanced electrolyte supplement’ such as the examples above is fed or administered and a horse returns an elevated level of TCO2 greater than 36.0mmol/l (with an added 1mmol/l of uncertainty to reach a maximum of 37mmol/l), the absolute and strict liability operation of AR 240 or AR 241 remain and an offence is committed.
Use of stomach tube (naso-gastric intubation)
For the purpose of AR 255, “stomach-tubed” and variations of that term mean any application to a horse of a naso-gastric tube.
Any horse that has been stomach-tubed contrary to the provisions of AR 255 may be prohibited from starting in any relevant race, official trial or jump-out.
Any horse that has been stomach-tubed contrary to the provisions of AR255 may be disqualified from the relevant race in which it started.
Mindful of the definition of “one Clear Day”, AR 255 operates to extend the period where it is an offence to stomach tube a horse that is engaged to run in a race or official trial or jump out to include not only the day of the race, but also that period of time captured by the definition of one Clear Day.
It is the use of a stomach tube during the excluded period that gives rise to an offence. That includes using a stomach tube to administer any substance including electrolytes, alkalinising agents, oiling etc. as it is the use of the tube during the excluded time that is prevented by AR 255, regardless of what substance is being administered or is attempted to be administered.
If you have any questions, please contact racing Victoria Veterinary Services on email: veterinaryadmin@racingvictoria.net.au