Racing Victoria still undecided over future of jump racing
The future of jump racing in Australia still hangs in the balance after the Racing Victoria Limited (RVL) board failed to come to a decision this week.
An emergency board meeting of RVL was held on Wednesday (13 May) after three horses died at the Warrnambool Racing Carnival last week (5-7 May).
Jump racing was immediately suspended in the state.
More than 300 pro jumps lobbiers gathered outside the RVL headquarters while the meeting was in progress.
But at around 3pm RVL chairman Michael Duffy stated that “no decision on jumps racing would or could be made”.
He said the matter is “a very big issue” and that the 10 member-strong board needed more time to consider written and verbal submissions from industry stakeholders, participants, the most affected communities and from animal welfare groups.
A decision is expected to be announced by RVL on Monday (18 May).
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Rumours in Australian press say that currently the board is more in favour of keeping jumps racing.
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A graduate of Exeter University, Amy joined our news team from Redpin Publishing in 2008 as news writer. She was promoted to deputy news editor in May 2013 and became news editor in April 2015. She left Horse & Hound in March 2016 to take up an editorial position in Dubai.