‘Serious consequence for owners’ - Racing Australia persists with foal compliance crackdown

[Murray Fish]

Breeding and Bloodstock

could this happen in nz?

By Tim Rowe - July 07, 2025

Breeders who fail to comply with foal ownership declaration (FOD) rules risk having their horses deemed ineligible to race, the national racing regulator has confirmed.

Racing Australia is cracking down on delays on foal documentation. (Photo: Bronwen Healy - The Image Is Everything)

Racing Australia is pressing ahead with stricter enforcement of the rules related to the 30-day foal declaration obligations placed on breeders.

In a media release published on its website, RA reiterated that foals that are not registered within 60 days of birth will be flagged as ineligible to race.

Breeders are charged $140 to lodge a FOD and $360 for an overdue declaration of between 30 and 60 days.

“FODs that are lodged after 60 days will be accepted and charged the current fee of $140 but the foal will be flagged as not eligible to race. An email will be sent with an option to appeal the ineligibility,” the RA release said. 

“An Appeal can only be upheld if special or exceptional circumstances are proven and supported by documentation. A fee of $500 will be charged for the appeal which will be heard by an independent third party.  

“If the appeal is successful, the ineligibility to race will be removed and the appeal fee will be refunded and the late fee of $360 charged.”

The Straight reported in May that Thoroughbred Breeders Australia raised concerns about the ramifications of a hardline stance set to be taken by RA over non-compliance with the FOD rules.

One in six of the 11,666 foals born in Australia in 2024 did not have their mandatory ownership and location declarations lodged with the Australian Stud Book inside the 30-day deadline. 

‘Sole and absolute discretion’ - one in six foals could be banned from racing under RA crackdown

RA chief executive Paul Eriksson told this publication in May that unregistered foals born in 2024 spanned the hobby and large-scale commercial breeders.

He said 27 per cent of foal declarations were lodged after the deadline in 2023 but a greater proportion of breeders met their obligations under the rules of racing in 2024.

“That (figure) dropped last year to 16 per cent, which is a great result but out of that really there's only 5 per cent of the overall foal declarations that are really problematic that we will want to focus on,” Eriksson said at the time.

As promised by Eriksson, RA has merged the Australian Stud Book mare return and FOD steps to a single process to make it easier for breeders to meet the deadline. 

“Racing Australia recognises that ineligibility to register and race your horse in Australia is a serious consequence for owners failing to comply with their lodgement obligations,” the RA release said. 

“However, enforcement of the rules is paramount to ensuring ongoing improvements in horse welfare and traceability.”

In outlining the rules, RA said owners who sell an unregistered horse must disclose to potential purchasers whether there has been compliance with the lodgement obligations.

[Murray Fish]

'Horses’ welfare at risk' - TBA fires back at regulator over foal declarations

Thoroughbred Breeders Australia has again urged Racing Australia to reconsider its hardline stance over the policing of the mandatory lodgement of foal ownership declarations (FOD).

In the latest back-and-forth between the peak breeders organisation and Racing Australia, TBA president Basil Nolan called for a “collaborative approach” when it came to enforcing the rules of racing concerning the lodgment of foal declarations and mare returns.

The growing tensions between RA and TBA regarding FODs was first reported by The Straight in May where it was found that, if the harsher focus on compliance was taken last year, one in six foals could have been ruled ineligible to race.

“We are united in our desire to see improved traceability amidst our industry’s substantive efforts to advance equine welfare outcomes, however this aggressive approach taken by Racing Australia is an unfair and punitive attack on those people who are at the coalface of protecting our horses’ wellbeing: the breeders,” Nolan said in a TBA statement released on Tuesday.

“Breeders have expressed frustration with the current system for lodging mare returns and foal ownership details, describing it as outdated and cumbersome, which not only slows the process but also impacts the time required to complete these returns.”

Nolan called on Racing Australia to improve its systems to lodge foal declarations and mare returns.

“Rather than introducing harsh penalties that could cripple participants’ livelihoods and put their horses’ welfare at risk, we implore Racing Australia to direct their energies to improving their systems and making the registration of mares and foals a much easier and more efficient online process,” he said.

“Like our fellow industry stakeholders, TBA wants to see all horses traceable from birth through to leaving the thoroughbred system, and we believe the way to achieve this is to make the process as simple as possible for our breeders.”