The ATA has reiterated its strong support for the continuation of jumps racing.
ATA President Colin Alderson urged RVL to honour its commitment to jumps racing for the racing season. “Based on the undertaking given to the jumps racing community, owners, trainers and jockeys have already made significant financial investments and devoted many hours of their professional lives preparing horses for the jumps racing season”, Alderson said.
“The Jumps Racing Review Panel was established with the specific purpose of continually monitoring jumps racing during the season and should be allowed to fulfill this role which was recommended and agreed upon by the recent review into jumps racing by Judge Jones”, he said.
Alderson also reminded opponents of jumps racing of the ramifications that would follow the banning of the sport.
“The reality is that without jumps racing, many horses which are failures on the flat would face a premature end to their lives - Jumps racing provides an alternative and a second chance for extending the lives of many racehorses".
“If jumps racing were to be banned, the question that must be asked is what provisions, if any, are being made to extend the lives of these horses”, he said.
Alderson said that the ATA was contacting all trainers to urge them to lobby the Minister for Racing Rob Hulls and the RVL Board and express their support for the continuation of Jumps Racing.
He said the ATA would be presenting a submission to the RVL Board in support of Jumps Racing.
