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Racing’s dark underbelly exposed yet again. CPR calls for a national enquiry into horse racing As yet another leading trainer is exposed for the use of cruel and illegal practices, the Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses claims it’s just the tip of the iceberg. It seems only a few months have to pass before the next headline reveals another dark underbelly of Australia’s racing industry. Elio Celotto, Campaign Director for The Coalition For The Protection Of Racehorses said today, “We’ve been contacted by several sources that work in the industry about thesepractises and in particular, Darren Weir’s stables. We’ve known this has been going on for at least 2 years. The reality is it’s probably always been going on for as long as jiggers have been around”. “Frominformation we have received, it appears these practises are commonplace as trainers are prepared to do almost anything to gain an advantage.” “Just like the greyhound industry, the racing industry corruption goes all the way to the top. If Australia’s leading trainer is doing it, it’s all but guaranteed that other trainers are doing the same.” This matter brings into question the results of the 2015 Melbourne Cup. Prince of Penzance. The winner trained by Darren Weir had quite an ordinary racing record by Melbourne Cup standards leading into the Cup and certainly after. Since his Melbourne Cup win, the horse was only placed once from five races and has not raced since 8th October 2016. “We hope the racing industry and police interview every single person connected to the Darren Weir stables including Michelle Paine, the winning jockey on Prince of Penzance in the 2015 Melbourne Cup.” “Like many other cruel industry practices such as whipping, confinement, the use of tongue ties and spurs, and the routine killing of no longer profitable horses, sending electric shocks through horses in training has been known to occur for some time” “Jockeys then mimic the same action on race day inducing tremendous fear into the horse who runs faster as a result” “In an industry where horses are bred into existence for the sole purpose of bringing fame and fortune to those who exploit them, their wellbeing will always be second to opportunities of financial gain”. “If officials really want to stamp out corruption and cruelty in Australian horse racing a nationalenquiry is required to expose just how dark and how deep it extends. Like greyhound racing, it is increasingly showing to be beyond repair” he said. |
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