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The UK Jockey Club & other regulatory bodies have been “caught on the back foot by learning that the banned drug found last year in top 2YO Elusive City has unilaterally been passed as acceptable for the last month by Australian racing authorities,” reported racingpost.co.uk. ”The unexpected development was dropped from a clear sky at the Asian Racing Conference in New Zealand in a speech delivered not by one of the Australian racing officials, but by equine vet Dr Ruth Davis.”

Davis said since February a list of previously banned substances had been removed & those removed included Omeprazole, the ulcer treatment found in samples taken from UK 2YO star Elusive City after his win in the prestigious Richmond Stakes at Goodwood last year. (The Gerard Butler-trained colt was subsequently disqualified from that win, as well as from an earlier victory after which the same substance - used under the trade name Gastrogard - was also discovered.) Other substances removed from the Australian banned list were antibiotics (except procaine penicillin), worming products, mucolytic agents & vaccines. Davis, a consultant to the Australian racing industry, was unequivocal as to the impact of the change, saying: "This is a huge step forward & Australian racing should be congratulated. We hope other medications can be removed & believe there is scope for similar changes in other jurisdictions."

But racingpost.co.uk reported the news “certainly came as a surprise to Christopher Foster, the Jockey Club's executive director & vice-chairman of the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities, of which Australia is a member & which has worked hard on an agreed anti-doping approach.”

Foster declared: “Some of the Australian changes are not in accord with the international agreement which defines prohibited substances. We urge countries to use the agreed structures available for debate & decision, if we are to maintain an international level playing field." The unilateral action was later confirmed by Andrew Harding, secretary general for the Australian Racing Board, who added that it had not been intended to put noses out of joint.

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