Deathwatch

Click here to read our Deathwatch 2023 Report.

For a one year period from 1 August 2022 to 31 July 2023, the Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses has collected data from official race day reports from every state and territory in Australia, compiling a detailed report of the horses who have died in racing and the reasons why – something that is not made available to the public each year by the industry itself.

At least 168 horses were killed on Australian racetracks in the last racing year. This equates to one horse suffering a painful, life-ending injury in the name of gambling profits every two days.

Click here to read our Deathwatch 2023 Report.

It is important to note that this and previous years death tolls are almost entirely made up of the deaths we learn of from official race day reports. Countless others are taken away from the racetrack and killed behind the scenes when it is clear they cannot (or were chosen not to) be saved, indicating that although high and devastating, our findings are still grossly understated. This is why we are demanding greater industry transparency. Sign the petition directed at all state and territory Minsters for Racing here.

Key findings:

• The race-day death toll for this racing year is 168 horses - the worst since CPR started recording raceday deaths in 2014
• This is twenty-nine more than last year.
• A horse is killed on Australian racetracks every two days.
• The most common cause of death was from an injury sustained to the horses’ forelimb with sixty-three instances.
• Six horses died in their first ever race.
• Fifty-one horses died past the winning post, meaning many were suffering injuries whilst being beaten and pushed beyond their limits to the finish line
• Ten horses were two years old or younger when they died from a racing injury.
• Of the horses that were killed, sixty had been raced as two-year-olds
• Racing Victoria remains the biggest culprit of not reporting the cause of death of a horse – failing to do so sixteen times.
• Racing Victoria edits racing replays to hide horse injuries and deaths more than any other state racing authority.
• The state with the highest recorded deaths was New South Wales with fifty-three deaths, followed by Queensland with forty and Victoria with thirty-nine.
• The most lethal track in Australia was Thoroughbred Park - Canberra ACT with six recorded deaths, followed by Aquis Park - Gold Coast, QLD and Ascot – Perth, WA, each with five confirmed deaths.