RNSW_Oct 21_Col_W

jump-out: (a) at any time on the day of the scheduled race, official trial or jump out and prior to the start of such event; and (b) at any time during the one Clear Day prior to 12.01am on the day of the scheduled race, official trial, or jump out. (2) Any person who: (a) administers an alkalinising agent; (b) attempts to administer an alkalinising agent; (c) causes an alkalinising agent to be administered; and/or (d) is a party to the administration of, or an attempt to administer, an alkalinising agent, contrary to AR.178AA(1) commits an offence and may be penalised. (3) Where the Stewards are satisfied that a horse has, or is likely to have been, administered any alkalinising agent contrary to AR.178AA(1), the Stewards may prevent the horse from starting in any relevant race, official trial or jump-out. (4) Where a horse has been administered any alkalinising agent contrary to AR.178AA(1), the horse may be disqualified from any relevant race in which the horse competed. (5) For the purposes of AR.178AA, ‘alkalinising agent’: (a) means any substance that may elevate the plasma total carbon dioxide (TCO2) of a horse when administered by any route; (b) includes but is not limited to substances that are bicarbonates, cit- rates, succinates, acetates, propionates, maleates, lactates and trometa- mol (THAM, Tris Buffer or Trometamine) and also includes products marketed as urinary alkalinisers and hind gut buffers; (c) does not include substances: (i) that are alkalinising agents which are contained in commercial feeds and/or balanced commercial electrolyte supplements which when fed and consumed according to the manufacturers’ recommendations for normal daily use have a negligible effect on plasma TCO2; and (ii) in respect of which the Stewards have granted an express exemption from the operation of AR.178AA, provided that any exemption from the definition of alkalinising agent granted under this rule does not constitute a defence to a charge laid against a person following the detection by an Official Racing Laboratory of a TCO2 concentration in a horse in excess of the threshold prescribed by AR.178C(1)(a).” Explanation of the Rules The restriction on both stomach-tubing and the administration of alkalin- ising agents is one clear day prior to racing or competing in an official trial or jump-out. This means that if a horse is racing on a Saturday, the last time it may be stomach-tubed or be administered alkalinising agents is 11:59 pm on the Thursday night. In this case, the clear day is the Friday. A clear day is not just the 24 hour period prior to the time of racing. What is considered to be an alkalinising agent? For the purposes of AR.178AA, 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 demon- strated to have negligible effects on plasma TCO2 when administered according to the manufacturers’ recommendations for normal daily use. AR.178AA 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 within the one clear day prior to racing or competing in an official trial or jump-out 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 buff- ers. Products that contain alkalinising agents and which fall within the defini- tion include proprietary formulations such as: Sodium Bicarbonate (“bicarb”), Baladene®, Neutra-Syrup®, Neutralka®, Neutrolene®, Neutrolene Plus® and Neutradex® and any other products that are mar- keted as lactic acid buffering or neutralising products. These products must not be administered within one clear day prior to racing or prior to competing in an official trial or jump-out. Balanced electrolyte supplements and potassium supplements that con- tain electrolytes may be administered or fed in normally recommended amounts within the one clear day. Examples of normal balanced electro- lyte 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 alkalinis- ing agents but which should have negligible effects on plasma TCO2 when administered in feed according to the manufacturers’ recommenda- tions for normal daily use include Equilyte®, Race Electrolyte®, and Salkavite®. R ULES RELATING TO THE TREATMENT OF RACEHORSES PRIOR TO COMPETITION Trainers and veterinarians should be aware of the implications of AR.178C(2), AR.178AB and AR.178E which have an impact on the way racehorses can be treated before racing. AR.178C (2) The following substances are excepted from the provisions of AR.178B:- antimicrobials (antibiotics) and other antiinfective agents with the excep- tion of procaine penicillin antiparasitics approved and registered for use in horses ranitidine omeprazole ambroxol bromhexine dembrexine registered vaccines against infectious agents orally administered glucosamine orally administered chondroitin sulphate altrenogest when administered to fillies and mares" Note: the antiparasitic agent levamisole, which is contained in some sheep and cattle drenches, is not approved or registered for use in hors- es, and would therefore be considered a prohibited substance. The detection of levamisole and/or its metabolites, artifacts and isomers in a race day sample would be a contravention of the Australian Rules of Racing. AR. 178E (1) Notwithstanding the provisions of AR.178C(2), no person without the permission of the Stewards may administer or cause to be administered any medication to a horse on race day prior to such horse running in a race. (2) The Stewards may order the withdrawal from a race engagement any horse that has received medication in contravention of subrule (1) of this rule." Medication is defined in AR.1: 'medication’ means treatment with drugs or other substances. There are a number of implications arising from these Rules: * the substances listed in AR.178C(2) are no longer, in effect, considered as "prohibited substances" according to the Rules of Racing. These sub- stances include antibiotics (except for procaine penicillin), antiparasitic drugs approved and registered for use in horses, registered veterinary anti-ulcer treatments for use in horses, registered mucolytic agents for horses, registered vaccines against infectious agents in horses, the pro- gestagen altrenogest (contained in Regumate®) when used in fillies and mares only, and preparations for oral administration containing glu- cosamine and chondroitin sulphate. However, this Rule does not imply the unrestricted use of these substances prior to racing. Their administration is still considered as "medication" according to AR.1 and AR.178E, and therefore their administration to a horse is not permitted on race day prior to the horse running in its race. Furthermore, the administration of any of these substances by injection is banned within the one clear day before racing according to AR.178AB. * AR.178E effectively prohibits all treatment of horses with drugs and other substances (including treatment with those substances listed in AR.178C(2)) on race day prior to their racing engagement, while AR.178AB bans all injections within the one clear day before racing, AR.64G bans all stomach tubing within the one clear day before a race, official trial or jump out, and AR.178AA bans the administration of all alkalinising agents with- in the one clear day before a race, official trial or jump out. Essentially, only normal feeding and drinking is permitted pre-race on the day of the race. * restrictions on the pre-race use of the antibiotic procaine penicillin con- tinue to apply due to the prolonged detection of procaine following treat- ment with procaine penicillin. *the administration of altrenogest to a gelding, colt or stallion, and its subsequent detection in a sample from that gelding, colt or stallion would be a contravention of the Australian Rules of Racing. Rule for the implementation of screening limits for therapeutic substances - AR.178EA AR.178EA (1) In relation to the testing for the presence of a therapeutic substance in a sample taken at any time from a horse there must be an initial screening test or screening analysis of the sample. (2) As a minimum requirement, the initial screening test or screening anal- ysis is to be conducted as follows: (a) A biological matrix, equivalent in volume to the sample, is to have added to it a quantity of the therapeutic substance, or its specified metabolite, sufficient to bring its concentration to the screening limit specified for that therapeutic substance. This is known as the spiked sample and is to be analysed concurrently with the sample. (b) The sample is then to be tested to ascertain whether or not it contains a quantity of the therapeutic substance, or its specified metabolite, that exceeds that screening limit by making a direct comparison with the spiked sample. (c) If the screening limit is not exceeded, the detection of the therapeutic substance is not to be reported. (d) If the screening limit is exceeded then the sample is to be further test- ed in accordance with normal laboratory procedures designed to certify the presence of the therapeutic substance in the sample. (3) A therapeutic substance for the purpose of this Rule and the screening limit applicable to it or its specified metabolite shall be promulgated from 126 www.racingnsw.com.au PROHIBITED SUBSTANCES