Medication and Drugs
1. Drug Control Regulation
In Japan, entering a horse to race under the influence of drugs which temporarily stimulate or depress race performances (hereinafter referred to as prohibited drugs) is prohibited strictly by Horse Racing Law. Also, the usage of certain drugs is restricted from the standpoint of horse welfare and injury prevention (hereinafter referred to as restricted drugs) by the JRA.
Besides those prescribed in these regulations, all matters concerning the control of drug administration to racehorses shall be prescribed by the JRA Veterinary Officer. Please check with the JRA beforehand when considering any drug administration to horses scheduled to race in JRA races.
A) PROHIBITED DRUGS
| a) | Prohibited drugs (listed below) are defined as "substances which temporarily stimulate or depress race performance". Such prohibited drugs (except for anabolic steroids) must not be administered to any horse nominated to start, and in the event a prohibited drug is administered, the horse concerned cannot race for a period of 10 days. Please be careful of such medications as "Bute" (40 Phenylbutazone) and "Lasix" (46 Furosemide) which are also included on the list. |
| b) | Trainers are advised that anabolic steroids may be detected for approximately two months after administration, and they will be held responsible for ensuring that their horses are free of anabolic steroids prior to departure for Japan. The JRA may conduct a physico-chemical test to confirm that a participating horse is free of anabolic steroids after arriving in Japan. |
| c) | The use of any unlisted substances with the purpose of, or lead to temporarily stimulating or depressing race performance is prohibited likewise. |
Please refer to Article 31 of the Horse Racing Law and Paragraphs 132-136 of the JRA Rules of Racing.
LIST OF PROHIBITED DRUGS AND SUBSTANCES
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B) RESTRICTED DRUGS
| a) | Horses must not race under the influence of restricted drugs (listed below), which are defined as "drugs to be restricted from the standpoint of horse welfare and injury prevention". |
| b) | The JRA will recommend withdrawal times for such restricted drugs. Please contact the JRA Veterinary Division or respective JRA Representative Offices for specific information. |
Please refer to Article7,12, and Separate Table (2) of the Matters to be Instructed by Veterinary Officers.
LIST OF RESTRICTED DRUGS
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2. Veterinary Instructions regarding medical treatment
| a) | No treatment can be given to a horse from the day before the race. |
| b) | Prior consultation with the veterinary officer is necessary in case a drug or medication is to be administered to a horse scheduled to run, or feed additives other than those provided by JRA are to be given. |
| c) | No one except the veterinary officers of JRA or those who have received the approval from JRA can diagnose or give treatment to the horse. |
3. Medication and Pharmaceutical Products Brought into Japan
| a) | Medication and Pharmaceutical Products brought into Japan by persons involved with scheduled runners can not be used at JRA premises, unless tested beforehand at the Laboratory of Racing Chemistry. This includes soap, shampoo, skin protection cream, hoof oil and other substances used for the horse's care. Therefore, any such untested medication and Pharmaceutical Products will be kept in JRA custody until after the race. |
| b) | A variety of products, such as hot and cold compress medications (poultice), massage medication, shampoo, and nutrient additives that are comparatively in wide use in foreign countries are available. A list of these supplies is available at each JRA Representative Office. |
4. Physico-Chemical Test after Race
Physico-chemical tests are conducted on horses that finish first through third in the race, and any horse designated by the stewards of the meeting, under the Rules of Racing of the JRA. The horses concerned must submit to sample collecting after the race. The collected samples will be divided into two samples, and Physico-chemical test will be conducted at the Laboratory of Racing Chemistry, on sample A. Should the existence of a prohibited drug or medication be detected, sample B will then be tested automatically at the same Laboratory, in the presence of the non-partisan designated witnesses, who have knowledge of the field of physico-chemical testing. No notice will be given to the connections of the horse at this time. No person other than these witnesses can be present at the retest procedure. If the presence of the same prohibited drugs or medication is detected in both samples A and B, it will be considered as a violation of the drug and medical regulations. The horse concerned will be disqualified and suspended from running in a race for a fixed period. The connections of the horse will not be entitled to receive any prizes, or prize money. The horse connections concerned may be charged under Article 31 of the Horse Racing Law and will be penalized in accordance to Paragraphs 123, 131, 138, and 140 of the JRA Rules of Racing.
