The registered Victorian racehorse owner Robert Stutchbury has been charged with 11 breaches of the rules of racing including 9 incidents of failing to provide sufficient nutrition to his horses, one incident of failing to provide veterinary treatment to one of the starving horses and failing to comply with the minimum standards outlined in Racing Victoria’s Thoroughbred Racehorse Welfare Policy.
12yo broodmare Manning Road was the horse Mr Stutchbury failed to get veterinary treatment for. Given the timeline, it appears he bought Manning Road to breed from, but when she failed to get pregnant, she was subsequently starved and not given the veterinary treatment she needed.
The remaining horses were
- – 21yo broodmare Cleobella
- – 15yo “retired” Island Fire,
- – 14yo broodmare Nudgerama,
- – 19yo unnamed thoroughbred
- – 8yo broodmare Angelic Rebel
- – Angelic Rebel’s unnamed foal
- – 11yo broodmare So Foxy
- – So Foxy’s unnamed foal
In late February 2025, Mr Stutchbury bought 11yo So Foxy and her foal for $1500. Four months later when RV’s stewards inspected Mr Stutchbury’s property, she and her foal was found to be starving. Only a month later, on 11 August 2025, Fo Foxy was recorded as ‘deceased’.
On the exact same date, 11 August 2025, 8yo Angelic Rebel was also recorded ‘deceased’ after her and her foal was found to be starved. Mr Stutchbury had bought her and her foal in late January 2025 for $1250.
Given that the RV minimum standards for racehorse welfare are already far inadequate to ensure a decent level of horse welfare, we dare not imagine the conditions under which Mr Stutchbury keeps his horses.
According to RV, the charges issued against Mr Stutchbury will be heard before the Victorian Racing Tribunal on a date to be fixed.
Please do not enable this horrific cruelty. Please say #nuptothecup every day of the year and help inform your friends and family about what they are supporting, if they bet on horseracing.
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