RSPCA Victoria has highlighted jumps racing making up only 1.66%[1] of all thoroughbred racing in Victoria as yet another reason to phase out the deadly sport.
Dr Liz Walker, RSPCA Victoria CEO, said in combination with animal welfare concerns, this figure should mark the beginning of a phase out.
“We know one in every 24 horses died in a jumps race this season, one in every 10 horse starts resulted in an injury, and attempts from the industry to improve horse safety have failed,” Dr Walker said[2].
“We also know there’s a concerning lack of transparency around jumps racing[3], and when combined with jumps racing making up only 1.66% of all thoroughbred racing in Victoria, it’s clear the impact of the sport is negligible.
“Furthermore, at only 1.66% of all thoroughbred racing in the state, the Victorian horse racing industry is clearly not reliant on the economic impact of jumps racing.”
Additional research showed jumps racing accounted for only 16% of all thoroughbred races in Warrnambool, with this figure dropping to 3.4% in Ballarat, and dropping as low as 2.2% in Sale.
There were only three exclusive jumps race meets this season (Pakenham: 2, Ballarat: 1), with the overall proportion of jumps to flat racing in Pakenham still only 4.2%.
“The numbers don’t lie, and they simply can’t be used to justify continuing jumps racing,” Dr Walker continued.
“Even in regional areas, jumps racing represents such a small percentage of overall racing activities, phasing them out and replacing them with flats racing would not appear to have a significant impact on regional economies as this is the outcome we’ve witnessed in South Australia.”
South Australia banned jumps races from 2022[4], with Oakbank Easter Racing Carnival – considered a key jumps racing event – replacing jumps races with flats races.
Crowd attendance at the event in 2021, prior to jumps being banned, was just under 10,000[5], however in 2023, following the ban, crowd figures were around 10,200[6] indicating no impact to attendee numbers.
“These figures, combined with insurmountable animal welfare concerns, should clear the way for a phase-out of this deadly sport,” Dr Walker said.
“While ideally we would like to see an immediate end to jumps racing in Victoria, we understand the industry will need to prepare for this change, so we’re calling for a two-year phase out.”
