Stop jumps racing now Premier - three deaths too many

Animal Australia Press Release 3/4/2011 nimals Australia has slammed the jumps racing industry today after a jumps horse fell and died in the first jumping race of the Warrnambool racing carnival -- the third death of the 2011 Victorian season. Shine The Armour, a 6 year old gelding fell at the 2nd last hurdle and died in the first jumps race of the 3-day meeting. Another two horses fell in the race and Shine the Amour's jockey has been taken to hospital.

Glenys Oogjes, Executive Director of Animals Australia said today, "This is an appalling outcome from the very first jumps race at Warrnambool. It must surely demonstrate again to the Victorian Government that jumps racing is highly dangerous, and cannot be made safe for horses or jockeys.

"Whilst Racing Victoria may have decreed via their own KPIs that horses being killed in jumps racing at sixteen times the rate to flat horse races is acceptable, the community certainly does not.

"I call on Premier Baillieu to take action immediately to stop any further jumps racing falls or deaths from occurring; the jumps races planned for the remaining two days of racing at Warrnambool must not be permitted to proceed." Ms Oogjes concluded.

Background:

* Two horse had already died in jumps races in Victoria since the 2011 jumps racing season commenced last month (Casa Boy at Warrnambool, and Squire Rex at a trial at Cranbourne). This is the third jumps race horse death in Victoria for 2011.
* A further two horses have died in South Australia this year, the only other state where jumps racing continues.
* Three horses died at the May 2009 Warrnambool racing carnival, leading to a temporary halt to jumps racing. Racing was soon resumed, and one horse was killed at Warrnambool last May.
* Racing Victoria has set fall rates (3% of starters) and death rates (0.65% of starters) as benchmarks for the continuance of jumps racing. Even prior to the death of Shine The Amour, the 2011 season statistics were triple those imposed limits.

Jumps racing falls at Warrnambool, 3-5-2011