Jumps racing halted after horse deaths

Jumps racing in Victoria faces a permanent ban after the death of a third horse in
two days prompted authorities to immediately suspend all events.
After two horses were put down on Thursday on the final day of the Warrnambool May
carnival, Racing Victoria Limited (RVL) called an emergency review of jumps racing
and said it would make an announcement on its future next week.
Animal welfare campaigners welcomed the suspension as the first step toward
scrapping the sport altogether, while the state government also welcomed the move
after the deaths of five horses at jumps racing events this year.
"We have asked the Jumps Review Panel to make a report to the board by early next
week on the season so far and on all the incidents that have occurred," RVL chief
executive Rob Hines said after the feature Grand Annual Steeplechase at Warrnambool
on Thursday.
"The RVL Board will be having an urgent board meeting next week and making a
decision on the future of jumps racing and making a statement next week."
Topweight Clearview Bay had to be put down after falling at the fourth-last fence of
the gruelling Grand Annual, run over 5500m and over 33 fences.
The nine-year-old suffered the same fate as Pride Of Westbury who broke his neck
after falling at the last jump in the Galleywood Hurdle on Wednesday, while his
stablemate Hassle had to be put down after shattering a leg bone in a hurdle earlier
on Thursday.
Victoria's deputy premier and Racing Minister Rob Hulls said the recent spate of
deaths had horrified many Victorians.
"I have always maintained that the death of any horse is not an acceptable
by-product of racing and the rate of deaths so far this season is unsustainable," Mr
Hulls said.
"It is incumbent upon the industry to show leadership to ensure the controversy
surrounding jumps racing does not taint the entire racing industry.
"The Warrnambool Racing Club runs a terrific carnival and I'm sure the organisers
are also distressed at these events."
Thursday's announcement was immediately welcomed by Animal Liberation Victoria and
Victorian Advocates for Animals, who have campaigned for years for jumps racing to
be banned.
"It's a wise move on the part of Racing Victoria and shows they are beginning to
wake up from the past and move into reality in the 21st century," Victorian
Advocates for Animals' president Lawrence Pope told AAP.
"People will not tolerate having our horses die or executed in front of them as part
of a gambling or entertainment spectacle."
The state government said the racing industry was put on notice after 12 deaths in
2008, which prompted RVL to commission a review by former judge David Jones.
Mr Hines said three jumps races at Moe on Sunday would be converted to high weight
flat races, adding he did not want to pre-empt any decision by the RVL board.
"The incidents have been so serious this season that we have to have a good hard
look at it, but we need our experts, the Jumps Review Panel, to have a look at it
and put the information together," he said, adding the number of fatalities needed
to be less than the 12 of last year.
"We cannot continue at the rate we are at the moment.
"I think the outlook is difficult but let us do the review and we'll have a position
for you in a week."