Racing Australia has announced an amnesty on outstanding Foal Ownership Declarations (FODs) for the 2024 and 2025 foal crops.
This provides breeders with an additional two-week window to resolve any outstanding declarations and ensures impacted horses will remain eligible to race.
Deadline: 5.30pm AEST, Tuesday 14 April 2026
You can read the full announcement here: Statement-on-Late-FOD-Amnesty-March-2026.pdf
What this means
The amnesty applies to all late Foal Ownership Declarations for foals born in the 2024 and 2025 seasons, including:
- Horses subject to ongoing appeals
- Horses where no appeal has been lodged
- Horses where appeals have already been heard and rejected
Provided the Foal Ownership Declaration is submitted by the deadline, these horses will not be subject to an embargo from racing.
What you need to do now
We strongly encourage all breeders to act immediately:
- Review all mares who produced foals in 2024 and 2025
- Confirm that the mare return and Foal Ownership Declaration have been submitted for each mare and foal
- Lodge any outstanding FODs before the deadline
Please take the time to check all horses you are connected with and do not assume that this has been done.
We also encourage breeders to check in with partners, clients and colleagues. In many cases, these issues have arisen where responsibility for lodging the FOD was unclear. A quick check could make all the difference in ensuring no horse is left out.
A positive step forward
TBA welcomes this decision as a constructive step that recognises the challenges experienced across the industry.
As has become clear in recent months, the vast majority of cases have arisen from administrative errors or misunderstandings, rather than any deliberate breach of the rules.
For breeders, these horses represent years of planning, investment and care. Ensuring they can now move forward and have a future on the track will bring significant relief across the industry.
Need help?
If you require assistance or guidance on submitting a Foal Ownership Declaration, please contact the Australian Stud Book:
📧 studbook@racingaustralia.horse
đź“ž 02 8072 1900
For further support, please contact TBA at admin@tbaus.com or your state breeding organisation.
Please act promptly. This is a time-limited opportunity.
