Racing Victoria have agreed a deal with a respected technology company to implement a new system to support the three biggest races in their Spring Racing Carnival.
Republic of Ireland headquartered firm Equine MediRecord will supply the Australian racing organisation with their innovative equine welfare software platform.
This will be used for the Caulfield Cup, Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup to ensure that domestic and international trainers can satisfy Racing Victoria’s veterinary protocols.
The platform allows for the full veterinary history of each horse to be recorded securely, and guarantees compliance with the organisation’s stringent rules.
Punters worldwide will be delighted with this development given the millions of dollars they wager on the big races under Racing Victoria’s jurisdiction each year.
When bettors utilise reliable Australian horse racing tips they want to be certain that their picks are capable of performing to the best of their ability.
Equine MediRecord’s system ensures that horses have a clean bill of health before they run, giving punters piece of mind that their selections can run on their merits.
The company’s platform is already used in numerous jurisdictions worldwide including the United Kingdom, Ireland, United States, Asia and the Middle East.
The Breeders’ Cup World Championships, Preakness Stakes, Kentucky Derby, Saudi Cup and Pegasus World Cup are among the races which have used the system.
A multi-million-dollar investment from Merits Holdings in 2022 allowed Equine MediRecord to roll out the system globally having previously been focused on Irish racing.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Equine MediRecord, Pierce Dargan, said “We are thrilled about our partnership with Racing Victoria and doing all we can to help again ensure that the best horse welfare and transparency protocols are followed.
“We are excited to deploy a new version of our Equine MediRecord system with the support of Racing Victoria which will combine pre-travel and pre-race equine welfare protocols into the one system.
“We hope this partnership with Racing Victoria will drive adoption of our system by more equine events across Australia who want to ensure the best equine welfare and anti-doping protocols are being followed at their events.”
Dargan’s bullishness about the Equine MediRecord system is understandable given the benefits it offers to the international horse racing industry.
These include much greater levels of transparency where record keeping is concerned, which is a crucial factor when punters are wagering heavily on the sport.
The system was born out of the Dargan family’s involvement with Eyrefield House Stud on The Curragh Racecourse in County Kildare, Ireland.
Having grown extremely frustrated with the farm’s complicated manual records system, Dargan set about digitising the entire set-up.
His efforts spawned the creation of the first Equine MediRecord software platform which subsequently gained regulatory approval in Ireland.
Top Irish trainer Willie Mullins, who often targets international races such as the Melbourne Cup, is a major advocate of the innovative system.
He says that Equine MediRecord plays a key role in ensuring he can keep track of his horses’ welfare and ensure they are fully compliant whenever they race in different jurisdictions.
“You get injuries obviously in any game and keeping their health right is the main thing apart from getting horses fit,” Mullins said.
“Horses are easier to train when they’re healthy and that’s been the key here. I couldn’t keep in my head what needs to be done. Different countries have different regulations for vaccinations – what you’re allowed or not allowed to use in in different scenarios and the time schedules.
“Equine MediRecord keeps a full history of the horse in one place. Whether that’s their medical, information about their training regimes or their diet. Everything you need to know about your horse is at the palm of your hand.”
Photo by Mathew Schwartz on Unsplash
