PROHIBITED SUBSTANCES – STATISTICS REFRESHER

Specimen Summary:

Please note that the statistics below is for the racing seasons 2016/2017 up to and including 2022/2023 (7 years).

The total specimens analysed by the NHA Laboratory was 34 647 out of total runners for the period totalling 244 998 (14,14%) covering 16 305 races.





This % positive rate in yellow above of about 0.2% and 0.3% of specimens has been quite constant at the NHA over the past 20 years (clear exceptions are feed contamination such as the above 0,67% due to Zilpaterol and Caffeine in the period 2016 - 2018).

The about 0.2% and 0.03% positive rate is not higher than in countries where the stables that are NOT under direct Horseracing Authority control (such as Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore).

Compared to Australia, England and Ireland our positive percentage rates are consistent with their statistics (excluding the data on the total coverage of runners analysed).


The highest proportion of positive findings at the NHA however remains those so-called equine therapeutic substances which have a legitimate place in the recovery and pain management of injuries and strain which occur during race days. Obviously, within the current economic conditions, the pressures are immense for the horse to compete as much as possible, even though there may be underlying injuries which require medication for treatment purposes. Within these pressures, these substances are being used closer and closer to race days, which result in positives due to “outlier excretion”, i.e. racehorses not excreting as rapidly as the typical statistical norm for racehorses. This results in those Screening Limits (therapeutic effect decision limits) being exceeded, with the Laboratory declaring positives as a consequence thereof. These substances, if used responsibly, has a “recovery” place in racing and which occurs in the vast majority of instances.

The quarterly statistics per region is attached on for the 2022/2023 Racing Year.

Within the fact that the 2022/2023 year presented 15 positive findings, extremely noteworthy is the high level of 7 plasma findings which make out this number, and then the additional fact that 5 of the 7 positives (a third of these 15 positives in red above) originate from Out of Competition specimen collection. These 5 positives originate from a total of 658 Out of Competition specimens which provides a very high positive percentage rate of 0,76%. This 0.76% positive rate is noted as one of the highest rates from NHA specimen collection type during the 7 previous years of prohibited substance screening at the NHA.

The NHA assure all stakeholders that the mission statement of “maintaining the integrity of the sport of horseracing” is paramount in ensuring the legitimacy of the racing product both locally and internationally.

Please first www.nhra.co.za to view all the statistics in the Annual Reports tab.

.....will be interesting to know who what and how for those 10 Class 1 substance offences in the 20/21 season.....as

CLASSIFICATION OF PROHIBITED SUBSTANCES

Class 1: Substances which have no place in horseracing, :huh: including illegal or Forbidden
Substances.

Included are substances forbidden in racing (including Forbidden Substances) such as
anabolic and androgenic steroids and ester preparations thereof. Also included are
schedule 7 and 8 substances as determined by the South African Health Products
Regulatory Authority {SAHPRA}, substances which are illegally sourced, human
recreational drugs of abuse, insulin and Forbidden Substances as detailed in the Rules
of the NHA (Appendix M) and which is inclusive of growth promoters, growth hormones,
erythropoietins, synthetic haemoglobin oxygen carriers, snake venoms and ethanol.

......think I found the substance as it was I that was most disgusted with the findings of Zilmax(Zilpaterol ) here...but only one person with 2 horses had a mention.....so who were the other 8.....:huh:

......perhaps a rhetorical question as the name blame and shame game is only targeted to a select few....as discussed on various platforms......I'm glad to see that the NHRA has a separate column for singling out the feed contamination cases of Zilpaterol and maybe also Caffeine.....but what about Cobalt....:huh:....and is this tabulated statistics also a form of acknowledgement that they f@cked @p by gunning for trainers believing that they were dope artists ..:ohmy: ..when in fact there had been this very same occurrence globally some years before it finally manifested here....:oops:

......and then suddenly they become very proactive when certain recent events start up a bit of social media outcry....:whistle:

Interesting, thank you BOB.

I wonder, if our percentages are in line with Australia, England and Ireland then why has there been no major cases of doping being uncovered in South Africa as there has been in the above jurisdictions over the last 5 years?

I see we are still on the caffeine train.... that must make The Good happy.