Exposed: Peter Loffel’s Illegal Racehorse Knackery

October 30, 2026 by admincpr Leave a Comment

Horses identified as former flat and harness racers are filmed being shot in a small pen, while those around them panic and attempt to escape. One horse, an ex-racing thoroughbred identified as Lady Poppy attempted to stand and escape after being shot in the head. She was eventually shot again and lay struggling on the ground as she died.

MEDIA RELEASE by CPR:

Horrific New Footage Surfaces of Racehorses being Killed in Victoria

Farm Transparency Project (FTP) has released undercover footage confirming the ruthless slaughter of both thoroughbreds and standardbreds at a property in Northern Victoria. The sickening footage shows horses being shot in plain sight of other panicked horses and then taken away for processing at a nearby abattoir.

View the footage here.

The kill buyer is well known to the racing industry.

“This sickening footage demonstrates the failure of the racing industry to address the welfare concerns of thousands of horses that leave racing every year.” Said Elio Celotto, Campaign Director for the Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses (CPR).

“Without a comprehensive retirement program for all racehorses, it is inevitable that thousands will be ruthlessly killed as they always have – nothing has changed.”

“Current rules of racing prohibit racehorses from being sent directly to knackeries or slaughterhouses, however it doesn’t stop middlemen from taking possession of ex-racehorses and on selling them to knackeries.”

“Without a viable market for ex-racehorses, the routine slaughter of racehorses will continue unabated. The racing industry has created this problem and they need to be made accountable.”

“The fact remains that approximately 10,000 racehorses leave the racing industry ever year and nobody knows where they are except perhaps the kill buyers and knackeries who clean up the racing industry’s mess.”

“There is a very good reason why the racing industry does not disclose any data about retiring racehorses, because if the public new the truth, they simply would not have an industry.”

“All Australians should be appalled that these horrific practices are still taking place but the reality is they have never stopped, they’ve just got better at hiding it.”

Racing Victoria has a euthanasia program, Onsite Humane Euthanasia Program (OHEP) that allows owners of registered thoroughbreds to have their horses killed and disposed of at no charge. It’s an expedient way to liberate a horse owner of their responsibility to the horse so they can buy another one. Racing Victoria refuses to disclose any information about this program.

CPR has repeatedly requested meetings with Racing Victoria to discuss horse welfare but have declined on every occasion.

CPR will be demonstrating at the main entrance at Flemington on Derby Day with screens showing the horrific footage recently captured.

– ENDS –

Victoria Killed Most Racehorses: DeathWatch 2026 Reveals

October 20, 2026 by admincpr Leave a Comment

MEDIA RELEASE:

The annual DeathWatch Report by the Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses (CPR) reveals that the home state of the upcoming Melbourne Cup, Victoria, was responsible for 30 percent of the at least 160 racehorses who were killed from racing across the country in the 2025/26 Australian racing season.

At least 48 racehorses were killed from racing-related incidents in Victoria in the 2025/26 racing season. That makes Victoria the deadliest racing state in the country. The state with the second highest death toll with 41 confirmed deaths, was New South Wales which races approximately a thousand more horses and runs around a thousand more races than Victoria.

“This is the first year since CPR started monitoring the annual death toll that Victoria has killed more racehorses than the biggest racing state in the country. On average a horse was killed every week in Victoria,” said Elio Celotto, Campaign Director for CPR.

“That is not a good look for the home state of the Melbourne Cup, who claim to treat their horses like kings and queens.”

“Just in the last two months, at least 12 racehorses have already been killed from racing related injuries in Victoria alone, including 4yo Ohope Wins at Caulfield Cup last Saturday,” Mr Celotto said.

Other DeathWatch 2026 Key Findings:

At least 160 thoroughbred horses were killed from racing. Statistically, one horse was killed every 2.2 days during the racing year 2025/26 in Australia.
65 percent of the horses died before they were likely to have reached full skeletal maturity.
Nearly 70 percent of the horses who were killed from racing had started on the racetrack at just two years of age.
At least 12 racehorses were killed as a result of neglect and starvation while under the care of licensed racing personnel.

Throughout the 2025/26 racing season in Australia, CPR monitored Stewards Reports from every state to collect evidence of the annual death toll of racehorses. Unfortunately, there is no publicly available information about the many additional racehorses who are killed behind the scenes or following injuries sustained during race trials and race training at private facilities.

The 2026 DeathWatch Report contains individual state reports, case stories and many further details about the 2025/26 racing season in Australia. Read or download it here.

Victoria remains the least transparent state

Racing Victoria Stewards reports were the least transparent about the cause of racehorse deaths on racetracks, noting nearly all deaths as unspecified “serious racing injury”. Any race video evidence of the incidents was immediately erased.

When CPR contacted trainers throughout the season to confirm details regarding racehorses who had been severely injured during racing, we were frequently told by Victorian trainers that they were “not at liberty to give CPR any information”. As such, the number of Victorian racehorses who were killed following injuries sustained on the racetrack is bound to be significantly higher that what CPR was able to verify for the 2026 DeathWatch Report.

“Victorian taxpayers are made to subsidise horseracing whether they like it or not, and the very least the industry could do in return is to be transparent about the true cost to the animals they exploit for gambling and entertainment,” said Mr Celotto.

Strong opposition to horseracing and the Melbourne Cup in Victoria

Animal friends are speaking up strongly against the cruelty of horseracing across the country this spring racing season – Victorians especially. So far more than a dozen public Nup to the Cup events are happening in Victoria offering people a cruelty-free alternative to attending or gambling on the races. The official Nup to the Cup party event in Northcote, Melbourne, which last year attracted close to 2,000 people, is on again on Melbourne Cup Day 3 November 2026.

CPR is also back with its Nup to the Cup Parade replacing the traditional Melbourne Cup Parade on Monday 2 November. Animal friends will be meeting at Flinders St station at 11am to support the racehorses who are forced to risk their lives under the slogan “Celebrating Animals Instead of Exploiting them”.

“While bearing witness to the devastating abuse of horses in the racing industry, it’s truly heartening to see the Nup to the Cup movement continue to grow and to be surrounded by so many fellow friends of the animals on a day like the Melbourne Cup,” Mr Celotto said.

– ENDS –

4yo Ohope Wins Killed at Caulfield Cup

October 20, 2026 by admincpr Leave a Comment

Just in the last 8 weeks, 10 horses have been killed from racing-related injuries in Victoria alone.

This Saturday 17 October, 4yo Ohope Wins became the latest victim at the Caulfield Cup. Compassionate protesters were right outside the racetrack when the horrific two-horse fall occured, which lead to the killing of 4yo Ohope Wins.

CPR was asked to comment on the incident on ABC Breakfast News the next morning. Watch what we had to say below.

Racehorse ‘jigger’ Darren Weir back in business

September 14, 2026 by admincpr Leave a Comment

It’s beyond our comprehension how such ongoing, deliberate acts of torture to racehorses would not result in a lifetime disqualification. What does that say about Racing Victoria’s prioritisation of horse welfare?

What’s perhaps even more disturbing, is the crowd of licensed Victorian racing participants who are welcoming Weir back to the industry with applause.

The expiration of Weir’s disqualification doesn’t mean he’ll get his trainer license back without re-applying. However, it doesn’t seem like he needs his own license to carry on his wicked ideas on training racehorses, as he’s now allowed to join his daughter Taige when she’s training her racehorses.

Twelve Vets Speak Out Against Tongue Ties

June 26, 2026 by admincpr Leave a Comment

This open letter which is co-signed by 12 veterinarians was published in Centre for Veterinary Education at Sydney University to highlight the cruel use of tongue ties on racehorses and the racing industry’s downplaying of the obvious oral trauma suffered by last year’s Melbourne Cup winner Half Yours. CPR is ever so grateful to the equine veterinarians who have the courage to stand up against the cruelty in racing and speak up for the animals they have sworn to aid and protect.

Dear Editor,
If ever the ethics of Australian horse racing and blind conformity were on world display, it was during the 2025 3,200 metres Melbourne Cup. The winning horse was struck repetitively whilst already trying his best, his tongue was tied tightly around the bottom jaw, the bottom lip appeared swollen, he displayed anxiety with mouth bleeding.

It was a spectacle of absolute heroism on the horse’s behalf and shame on those who caused this animal pain and suffering. Racing Victoria veterinarians simply reported the bloodied mouth due to only a minor laceration requiring no medication however photos and video tend to show otherwise (Figures 1 & 2).

The system itself exposed tainted practices of physical and mental abuse of ‘Half Yours’ and the dubious integrity of Racing Victoria.

We, the undersigned veterinary surgeons understand ‘tongue ties’ are applied with the intention to prevent dorsal displacement of the soft palate (DDSP) and / or to prevent the tongue displacing over the bit. We also understand this adverse animal welfare practice can cause severe physical and mental harm and has no place in contemporary equestrian sport.

This is not a personal crusade but a legitimate pursuit for the welfare of horses and riders. Debate on the aforementioned issues will not fade soon.

Yours sincerely,
Dr Peter Kerkenezov BM
Dr Victoria Lomax
Dr John McKenna
Dr Sam Beckett
Dr Doug English
Dr Eloise Koelmeyer
Dr Mary Calder
Dr Steve Roberts
Dr Peita Kerkenezov
Dr Adrian Bryant
Dr Bruno Ros
Dr Tim Mather

Greyhound racing is on the way out; horse racing should follow

June 10, 2026 by admincpr 1 Comment

OPINION LETTER PUBLISHED IN THE PRESS ON 6 JUNE, 2026

By Sandra Kyle, Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses New Zealand

It was hard to watch. As the field galloped towards the 600 metres mark at Ellerslie racecourse on May 6, live video caught the moment Little Red Rocket snapped her right hind tibia.

We saw her pull up on three legs, the fourth leg dangling mid-air as she valiantly tried to continue despite the pain. The footage of her breaking down was quickly removed by the TAB and didn’t appear in the playback, and Little Red Rocket was “humanely euthanised” shortly after.

She was only 2 years old. At two, a horse’s bones are still developing. The intense training they undergo at a young age increases stress on their bodies, and can cause long-term musculoskeletal damage, including a susceptibility to fractures, chronic pain and early onset arthritis.

Little Red Rocket was one of 18 racehorses to lose their lives on New Zealand racetracks so far this season. Idyllic, Barbie Doll and Little Red Rocket were all killed in the same week. Heartofaces was killed at Awapuni on Sunday.

There have also been around 300 injuries, some of them serious. Horses pushed too far can die of cardiac arrest, while exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH), or lung bleeding, is common among racehorses. We do not know the number of horses who are injured or euthanised as a result of training, as these figures are not publicly documented.

The racing of 2-year-olds is one of the many ethical problems associated with horse racing; another patently obvious one is the use of the whip.

According to the industry the standard padded whip used by jockeys doesn’t hurt horses, and it is primarily used for steering and safety. To claim that the whip, applied repeatedly and with force, especially in the last 200m, doesn’t hurt the horse, goes against common sense.

At New Plymouth raceway a few years ago, I borrowed a whip from a jockey and asked a friend to strike me lightly with it to see if it hurt. Surprise surprise – it did! Studies have shown that whipping also causes fear in horses and can be the cause of increased risk of falls and injuries.

In a groundbreaking decision on May 27, 2025, a Tasmanian court ruled that padded whips cause unjustifiable pain and suffering and constitutes animal cruelty under the Animal Welfare Act.

A recent leaked report by the TAB advisory committee revealed that the industry is asking for tax breaks and other measures, without which it will be “unsustainable”. To allow this to happen would be throwing good money after bad.

Back in 2020 at the outset of Covid, Racing Minister Winston Peters announced a support package for the industry worth around $73 million, and over the years has supported other tax policy proposals to boost racing’s competitiveness. Meanwhile, it has been reported, since the beginning of this year, $300,000 of NZ First’s $475,000 donations received to date came from the industry.

The truth of the matter is that horse racing is losing its social licence and has been struggling to remain relevant for many years now. I can remember going to a race meeting at Ellerslie in the mid-1960s and being jostled by the crowds. Back then up to 20,000 people could attend. Nowadays, grandstands in racing venues up and down the country are all but empty.

Growing awareness and concern about animal welfare is playing a part in horse racing’s inevitable demise, and the recent ban on greyhound racing has put it under scrutiny.

Placing beautiful animals in harm’s way for gambling profits is no longer acceptable. Horse racing should go the way of greyhound racing, and for the same reasons.

“Bad Apples” of the Racing Industry

June 6, 2026 by admincpr Leave a Comment

CPR doesn’t often share investigations of the racing stewards into cruelty allegations about single racing participants because 1), it’s too depressing seeing the perpetrator being let off with little more than a slap on the wrist (because the racing industry is allowed to regulate itself) and 2), because sharing these single cases feeds into the racing industry’s narrative that there will always be “a few bad apples” in any industry.

But how many “bad apples” does it take before you must realise that the entire tree is infected?

CPR monitored the stewards’ inquiries for just four weeks, and list below, some of the cases that were published:

An apprentice jockey was found guilty of repeated, deliberate physical mistreatment of racehorses through an extended time period ‘including kicking horses in the abdominal or flank areas; striking horses with whips, including the use of a whip handle and continued physical aggression while restraining a horse’.
A racehorse trainer declined an offer of horse ambulance when his horse broke down during training and forced the horse to walk 400 meters back to the stable with a broken pelvis. Shortly after the horse had returned to the stable, he died from internal bleeding.
During training, a racehorse sustained a deep laceration to a front limb, exposing bone, with rapid swelling developing in the region of the offside shoulder/elbow. His trainer decided not to call a vet until seven hours later. When a vet finally attended, the horse had to be euthanised.
A racehorse owner was charged with 9 incidents of starving his horses, mares and foals, one incident of failing to provide veterinary treatment to one of the starving horses and failing to comply with the minimum welfare standards. Two of these horses are now “deceased”.
Three racehorses and two broodmares were all found to be starved by their racing licensed owner and not given the necessary veterinary care or relief from the pain they were suffering.
A racehorse trainer was caught on CCTV hitting a horse in the face two times with his fist, followed by two kicks in their stomach. The trainer expressed no remorse over his actions saying, ‘his fist hurt more than the horse would have felt’.

Note that these are only the incidents of cruelty that get reported to stewards and proceed to be investigated. And because the racing industry is allowed to regulate itself, perpetrators are penalised with only a few months suspension of their racing licence. They will rarely be prosecuted under state animal protection laws.

We cannot thank you enough for refusing to attend or bet on horseracing, and therefore not enabling this inherent cruelty. Animals do not belong in profit driven industries where welfare always comes second.

Victorian Broodmares and Foals found Starved

May 14, 2026 by admincpr Leave a Comment

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.

Cruel Beating of Racehorse Silenced by RNSW

April 23, 2026 by admincpr Leave a Comment

On 9 February, CPR reported to NSW Racing Integrity some disturbing footage of NSW licenced racehorse trainer Daniel Stanley, owner of D.A.S. Racing, Breaking and Pre-Training in Granton NSW, demonstrating to a new staff member how to break in a racehorse. His methods included the use of “positive punishment”, which means the addition of an aversive punishment in order to force the animal to comply through fear and pain.

View the footage here.

While we received an immediate call-back confirming that the actions of Mr Stanley were being investigated and later a confirmation that an official inquiry into Mr Stanley was to be held on 25 February, the NSW Racing Integrity Unit has since stopped responding to our requests for updates on the case.

To our knowledge, Mr Stanley is still now, two months later, conducting his business as usual with no action taken and the horses he is “training” are left to pay the price.

Scientific research has firmly established that the brutal type of “positive punishment” Mr Stanley makes use of will imprint on the horses for life. When horses are “broken” in this way, it will result in 1), dangerous, reactive behaviour, or 2), mentally shut-down horses who become unresponsive as they learn that, no matter what they do, there’s no way out.

If the NSW racing industry wants to protect its diminishing social licence to operate, it is vital they take a strong stance against the beating of racehorses into submission. After all, they are the ones who claim horses love to race and that their horses are treated like royalty.

CPR is doing everything we can to prevent this case from being swept under the carpet. We approached the office of Greens NSW MP Abigail Boyd, who has now swiftly submitted a question on notice for David Harris, Minister for Racing and Gaming in NSW, asking for a status on the case and urging appropriate action.

You can also help by contacting the NSW Racing Integrity Unit and asking that they take immediate and appropriate action against the violent treatment of young, vulnerable racehorses in training under Mr Stanley.
Please email: [email protected]

Thank you for taking action!

The Racing Industry Continues its Decline in Australia

March 17, 2026 by admincpr 1 Comment

BREAKING: The recent publication of the 2025 Racing Australia Fact Book confirms that the industry continues to shrink in size across key areas, including the number of horses being bred into the industry, horses actively racing, number of races held and the number of racehorse trainers and racehorse owners.

Thoroughbreds bred in 2024: 11,691

Thoroughbreds bred in 2023: 12,594

Thoroughbreds bred in 2022: 13,340

In fact, the number of thoroughbreds bred for racing is now less than half what it was in 1989 where numbers peaked, and it has steadily declined since. In addition, the industry news site The Straight has predicted that the decline is set to continue in 2026, based on the number of mares impregnated this season.

Although this doesn’t mean racing has become less cruel to the horses, it does mean that fewer horses are subjected to the cruelty and that fewer horses are at risk of being abandoned or killed when they are no longer of use to the racing industry.

This is indeed a sign of the times: Australians increasingly do not support animals being exploited for profit and gambling.

We cannot thank you enough for your support in raising awareness about what goes on behind the scenes in racing and fueling the fight for kindness over cruelty!

QLD Racing Plan Fails Horse Welfare

December 8, 2025 by admincpr Leave a Comment

MEDIA RELEASE MONDAY 8 DECEMBER 2025

The Queensland Government’s so-called ‘independent’ racing review has completely failed on horse welfare, said The Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses (CPR), after the review report was made public on Saturday.

“The Queensland Government must do better than this,” said Helle Erhardsen, General Manager for CPR. “They’re throwing an additional $200 million of taxpayers’ money into saving an industry that is losing its social licence to operate, while ignoring the suffering of the horses they rely on to exist.”

The racing review has not resulted in one single initiative to address any of the countless racehorse welfare issues that plague the industry, such as those raised in CPR’s submission, despite the terms of reference for the review clearly listed animal welfare as one of the key issues to be reviewed.

“Perhaps the lack of addressing racehorse welfare shouldn’t be surprising considering the steering committee of the ‘independent’ review was made up purely of members from within the racing industry,” Miss Erhardsen said.

“It’s like they have totally ignored the many public submissions expressing urgent concern for the welfare of racehorses in Queensland,” said Miss Erhardsen.

Among the 110 recommendations made by the review, only four refer to the welfare of racehorses (and one of these is in part only). All four reflect nothing more than nice sentiments.

The first and second (Nos. 35 & 36) provide a confusing mix of whole-of-life traceability and post-racing programs. The traceability program will first be implemented for greyhounds. Only then, will the possibility of expanding the program to racehorses “in future”, be “investigated”. The post-racing program is only accepted “in principle”, and it depends upon national all-state cooperation.
The third (No. 37) refers to Racing Queensland’s Off-The-Track program, which they “aim to continue to improve”. No specific details are given.
The fourth (No. 38) refers to Racing Queensland’s cooperation with the non-profit organisation Save a Horse Australia, which they will continue to support – although only “in principle”.

Not a single initiative is recommended to alleviate the risk to foals, broodmares and horses coming off the racetrack (whether they finish sound, injured or mentally traumatised) in the new future. This is despite the report’s acknowledgement about the high risk of poor welfare outcomes for horses who exit racing, at various stages of their lives.

In 2020, following the ABC 7:30 exposure of the horrendous slaughter of racehorses at a Queensland abattoir, the damning Martin Inquiry called for urgent action to safeguard retired racehorses. Five years later however, the welfare and safety of over 2000 racehorses who exit the racing industry in Queensland each year, remain largely unaccounted for.

“The Minister for Racing calls it the most substantial review of the Queensland racing sector in 25 years, so how on earth can they get away with not addressing the massive horse welfare issues that the public is deeply concerned about,”

“This entire review process seems to be nothing but a PR exercise to give the impression that animal welfare is important, when actually all they really care about is trying to stem the flow of people turning against racing on grounds of animal welfare,” said Miss Erhardsen.

Racehorse Killing Program Under Scrutiny

November 28, 2025 by admincpr Leave a Comment

Please click here to view our latest newsletter about the scrutiny of Racing Victoria’s “Onsite Humane Euthanasia Program”.