Harness Racing Australia (HRA) wish to advise that the list of therapeutic substances which are subject to screening limits has been amended.
Like most other international racing jurisdictions, HRA has in place formal screening limits for certain therapeutic substances. The therapeutic substances assigned screening limits are some commonly-used equine medications representing a range of therapeutic classes, including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, corticosteroids, local anaesthetics and tranquillisers.
The screening limit is the concentration of a particular therapeutic substance (or its metabolite) in urine or plasma above which the racing laboratory will call the sample positive.
Each screening limit has been derived from previous administration studies involving horses and these limits are harmonised detection limits agreed upon following input by international veterinary consensus.
Four items have been amended/added to the Screening Limits for Therapeutic Substances list referred to in the Australian Harness Racing Rules.
A copy of the updated list can be found at this link on the national website:
http://www.harness.org.au/rules/therapeutic-substances-screening-limits.pdf
The four items are:
- Dantrolene – 3ng/mL of the 5-hydroxydantrolene metabolite in unhydrolysed urine
- Firocoxib – 2ng/mL in plasma
- Ketoprofen – 2ng/mL in plasma under the condition of a single IV or oral dose
- Vedaprofen – 5ng/mL in plasma
The amendments will take effect from 1 May 2020.
Please direct any questions via email to Kathleen Mullan at kmullan@hra.com.au or your State Controlling Body Integrity Department.
