Racehorse TALK

Racing NSW stewards announced that, from November 1, a "new testing method will be introduced by the Australian racing laboratories which will allow the direct detection of hydrocortisone hemisuccinate (arising from the use of hydrocortisone sodium succinate) in blood & urine". This method "does not require quantitative measurement of the hydrocortisone concentration & the application of the urinary threshold specified in AR.178C(1)(f)"; the method "detects recent use of the human prescription medicine Solu-Cortef whose active ingredient is hydrocortisone sodium succinate & which therefore should not be used within 48 hours of racing". This method "can be extended to cover other injectable forms of hydrocortisone, although none of these are currently registered for use in Australia". Detection of hydrocortisone hemisuccinate in a blood or urine sample "at any concentration constitutes a breach of the Australian Rules of Racing".