Aussie jump racing suspended

Three dead horses in two days at a country carnival may have spelt the end of more than 150 years of jumps racing in sports-mad Australia, amid mounting criticism from animal rights groups.

In Warrnambool, a country town about four hours southwest of Melbourne, thousands of race goers on Thursday saw top weight Clearview Bay break its neck in the Grand Annual Steeplechase, the annual May carnival's top draw and one of Australia's most famous jumping meetings.

The fall, in which the jockey was taken to hospital with a suspected broken collar bone, followed a gelding's death after a fall earlier on Thursday and another on the second day of the three-day carnival on Wednesday.

The deaths prompted racing regulators in Victoria, home state of the Warrnambool Racing Carnival and one of only two Australian states that permit jumps racing, to suspend the sport immediately.

"A decision on the future of jumps racing will be announced by the end of next week (Friday 15)," a statement released by Racing Victoria Ltd said, adding that races scheduled in a separate town on Sunday would be run as flat (non-jump) races.

RV chief executive Rob Hines earlier said the sport was on notice after 12 horses died in Victoria last year.

"We recognise the community issues, and I don't think we would be justified in maintaining the sport at those kind of (fatality) levels," Hines said.

Animal rights groups criticised the deaths and called on government racing officials to ban the sport immediately.

"We're actually very disappointed that (Racing Victoria) did not ban the sport permanently then," said Glenys Oogjes, executive director of Animals Australia.

Since the jumps racing season launched on March 31, at least seven horses have died on different venues across Victoria and South Australia, including four horses in as many days last week.

Rising community concern has already put paid to jumps racing in four out of six states in Australia, where thin soil layers on sun-baked tracks prove far more lethal for falling horses than softer tracks abroad.

Animal rights groups say the sport is between 10 and 20 times more dangerous for jockeys and horses than flat-racing, but advocates say the races provide much-needed employment and revenue to often struggling rural communities.

Warrnambool Racing Club chief Andrew Pomeroy said the carnival's future was uncertain in light of the decision.

"We're obviously very disappointed. That's probably the best way to put it," he said.

An Australian trainer has threatened to kill his horses and send their heads to racing industry leaders if jumps racing is banned, national radio reported.

Racing over jumps was suspended Thursday after Grand Annual Steeplechase runner Clearview Bay became the third jumper to die at the three-day Warrnambool racing carnival in Victoria state.

The decision was taken by Racing Victoria Limited (RVL), the governing body, which will make an announcement on the sport's future next week.

The suspension was backed by state Premier John Brumby and Racing Minister Rob Hulls, who have been accused of putting pressure on RVL.

Warrnambool horse trainer David Londregan told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation his livelihood would be destroyed and he would be forced to have several horses put down if the sport was banned.

"I'm going to have to shoot my horses and I will, well I'm threatening to, send a head or two around the countryside to the powers (that) be, just to remind them what damage they are doing to our horses," he said.

"All the would-be greenies and everyone else that are against jumping racing, they just don't realise how well we look after our horses and how much we love our horses," he said.

Australian Jumps Racing Association president Rodney Rae warned of a court action against RVL if it closed jumps racing this season.

"RVL has given an undertaking to the industry that the 2009 season would go ahead and on that basis hundreds of horses have been put into work and millions of dollars has been invested," he told commercial radio.

"If RVL reneges on its undertaking I have no doubt there will be a massive class action against them."

Rae said the sport's safety record had improved significantly, with an average of seven or eight horses killed each year since modular jumps were brought in six years ago. Previously, there were up to 23 deaths a season

Australian jumps horse racing has been granted a stay of execution by officials, a move slammed by animal rights groups in the wake of a string of horse deaths at local meetings.

The death of three horses at a country racing carnival this month led to an immediate suspension of the sport in Victoria, one of only two Australian states that hold the sport, pending an emergency review.

Despite mounting pressure to ban the sport after high horse death tolls in recent years, Victoria's racing regulator would allow the current season to continue, it said in a statement.

"After lengthy consideration the Board of Racing Victoria Limited (RVL) has unanimously resolved to continue with jumps racing in Victoria," it said.

"Jumps racing will continue with a number of new conditions, many of which will be implemented immediately."

Since the season began on March 31, seven horses have died in different venues in Australia, where thin soil layers on sun-baked race tracks prove far more lethal for falling horses than softer tracks abroad.

The sport's fate had polarised public opinion in the sports-mad country, where the biggest jumps carnivals draw tens of thousands of punters but also attract criticism from animal rights groups.

"I think it's an absolutely terrible decision ... which will mean more falls, injuries and deaths for horses forced to go over obstacles," said Glen Oogjes, executive director of Animals Australia.

Animal rights groups estimate the risk of a serious injury to jockey and horse during a jumps event at 10 to 20 times more than that of flat racing.

Advocates counter that the sport's ban would mean a loss of income and employment to hundreds employed in the industry, and the deaths of hundreds of horses sold off by trainers and owners unable to keep them.

RVL said it would recommend seven items to a review panel to improve safety, including stricter entry requirements on horses and reducing the number of hurdles at race meetings.

"The Board understands accidents will occur and the changes are aimed at making jumps racing less hazardous," RVL said.

Oogjes said the changes would do nothing.

"They hope that they will work, but that of course is a false hope, because they have been tried before," she sai