The racing industry’s latest move to crack down on drug cheats is to reduce the screening limit for the equine drug clenbuterol.
Veterinarians prescribe clenbuterol to treat equine airway disease as a bronchodilator, however, in high doses it mimics the muscle-building properties of anabolic steroids.
In accordance with a new International Screening Limit, Racing Australia (RA) has adopted a new, lower screening limit for clenbuterol that will apply to the thoroughbred and harness racing codes.
The Queensland Racing Integrity Commission (QRIC)’s Analytical Services will implement the lowered screening limit of 0.1 ng/ml in urine from 1 April 2023.
This will increase the detection window to at least 13 days for oral administration and 6 days when it is nebulised, an increase from 3-4 days (oral) and 2 days (nebulised) under the current screening limit.
QRIC Commissioner Shane Gillard said that clenbuterol can still be administered to racing animals for medical purposes, as prescribed by a veterinarian.
“Due to the drug’s side effects, participants who administer high doses of clenbuterol can gain an unfair advantage when racing,” he said.
“The lowered screening limit has been introduced to deter the misuse of registered products to take advantage of the anabolic steroid side-effect but will have a marginal impact on those using these preparations in accordance with the manufacturer’s treatment guidance.
“I encourage all participants across thoroughbred and harness racing codes to ensure their treatment protocols align with the new screening limit, as those found to be non-compliant will be penalised.”
Veterinarians treating registered racing animals with clenbuterol are advised to apply a suitable safety margin when administering the drug, to avoid the treated horse providing a sample that inadvertently exceeds the revised screening limit.
This safety margin should be based on the circumstances of the administration, including the dose, route of administration and the preparation administered.
