Racing New South Wales in Australia announced earlier in May that it has strengthened its drug detection processes by purchasing new equipment able to screen for more than 8000 different types of drugs in any single analysis of a swab.
Only a few years ago a swab could only screen for a few hundred drugs at any one time, with the analyst having to stipulate which drugs would be tested for in advance.
The advantage of the new equipment, purchased for AUS$1.5 million ( approximately ZAR 15 million), is that it tests for 8,000 drugs automatically without the analyst stipulating the drugs to be tested.
“This highlights that gone are the days where swabs will only be analyzed once,” Racing NSW chief executive Peter V’landys said. “With our policy to freeze swabs means that we will further screen the swabs when the new equipment is operational to ensure all drugs have been tested for.”
Racing NSW also continues its work on the revolutionary equine biological passport, which will monitor the physiology of horse at certain points to determine if any changes are due to the use of prohibited substances or other unnatural and illegal means.
“We are absolutely determined to have everyone on a level playing field and that drugs or illegal means don’t determine the outcome of a race,” V’landys said.
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