By Victoria Stone-Meadows
Animal rights group the Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses has called on Cranbourne MP Jude Perera to oppose jumps racing, following the death of a horse at Cranbourne earlier this month.
Advocates from CPR wrote to Mr Perera calling for him to take a stand against the sport after seven-year-old gelding Just Junior threw his rider during a steeplechase trial on 3 July.
Racing Victoria confirmed in a statement that the horse Just Junior suffered a leg fracture during the trial race and was subsequently put down.
“Just Junior was humanely euthanised by the on-course veterinarian at the Cranbourne Training Centre on Monday 3 July after sustaining an irreparable leg fracture,” an RV spokesperson said.
“As is standard practice, the Jumps Review Panel has reviewed the trial in which Just Junior’s rider was dislodged but the horse did not fall.”
“As Just Junior continued to jump throughout the trial when riderless, the panel was unable to categorically establish at which point the injury was sustained.
“Racing Victoria’s thoughts are with Just Junior’s owners, his trainer Ciaron Maher and his stable staff who cared greatly for the horse and were terribly saddened by his passing.”
Communications manager for CPR Ward Young said it is the responsibility of Mr Perera to support a ban of all types of jumps racing following this incident.
“A total of eight jumps horses have been killed in Mr Perera’s electorate since 2010 – the year when Racing Victoria backflipped on banning jumps racing,” Mr Young said.
“Given that Mr Perera only holds his extremely marginal seat by 1871 votes, I hope that he will act in the best interest of horses and the community, and push for a ban on jumps racing.
“This ‘sport’ is 20 times more dangerous than flat racing, and if they were held as often as flat races, a horse would be killed at every race meet.”
“It’s time to transition the 25 jumps jockeys to high-weight flat races, and end this form of outdated animal cruelty.”
However, Mr Perera said the future of jumps racing in Victoria was in the hands of the governing body Racing Victoria.
“As part of its 2014 platform, the Andrews Labor Government made an election commitment to leave key decisions about the future of racing, including jumps racing, in the hands of RV,” he said.
“The Andrews Labor Government takes animal welfare seriously and the government is committed to working with the racing industry to ensure all participants understand their collective duty and responsibility to treat all racehorses with care.”
“RV is an independent company established under federal corporations law. As such, strategic decisions relating to the Victorian thoroughbred racing industry, including those pertaining to jumps racing, are made by the board of RVL and not by the government.”
