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rdytdy

NZ Cobalt Threshold To Drop

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Got home tonight and her in doors had put the reachorses in the heifers paddock, horses had big dark sunglasses on, those heifers can go especially with their tails up, the latest in the deep south is beetroot juice and lavamisole,all the locals are guarding their vege patch's, what next, corn and anti-freeze.

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59 minutes ago, kakama said:

So I assume they halved the limit because they know it has a major effect on a horses ability.....? 

 

 

There actually has been no scientific proof that it does enhance performance. This was confirmed by Mike Godber when asked this question about three weeks ago on the radio by Peter Early. 

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It has been lowered because the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (of which NZ are a member) adopted the lower threshold so NZ authorities had no choice but to implement it.

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4 minutes ago, kakama said:

Should have doubled it then don't you think?

Probably, based on the most recent published science. At this point it seems to only be a horse welfare matter and you could probably safely quadruple it for that.

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True Leggy, recent ongoing research is leaning towards it being more detrimental to a horse than it is enhancing.   Perhaps some of these horses are better than we think and won in spite of the higher levels :o:)

 

 

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The Wexford horses for example performed very well at at 5-6 times this threshold so I fail to see from that why such a low level is necessary from a welfare standpoint. As yet, there is no published scientific evidence of any effect on performance nor on blood parameters or anything that might have an effect on performance. The recent scientific publications this year, seem to cast more doubt on the basis of those than support them in any way. Like water though, cobalt is obviously toxic at some level. I haven't yet seen or located the official notice from NZTR or the RIU on this new threshold, only media reports. Could someone point me to that please?

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Where were all the " TEST'S " carried out .....Surely the acquired research must have been done on  a horse population of some description in order to conclude an accurate hypothesis .

 

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1 hour ago, Leggy said:

The Wexford horses for example performed very well at at 5-6 times this threshold so I fail to see from that why such a low level is necessary from a welfare standpoint. As yet, there is no published scientific evidence of any effect on performance nor on blood parameters or anything that might have an effect on performance. The recent scientific publications this year, seem to cast more doubt on the basis of those than support them in any way. Like water though, cobalt is obviously toxic at some level. I haven't yet seen or located the official notice from NZTR or the RIU on this new threshold, only media reports. Could someone point me to that please?

NZTR BOARD APPROVES REDUCTION OF COBALT THRESHOLD TO TAKE EFFECT FROM 1 AUGUST

 

The NZTR Board approved, at its meeting on 4 May 2016, reducing the current raceday threshold of 0.02 micrograms (= 200 nanograms) total cobalt per millilitre in urine to 100 nanograms in NZTR’s Prohibited Substance Regulations. This will take effect on 1 August 2016.

 

While cobalt is an essential trace element that is present (5 percent by weight) in Vitamin B-12, normal Vitamin B-12 administrations do not produce high cobalt readings. Low concentrations of cobalt salts also are found in routine feed and vitamin/mineral supplements, but when used properly, those sources do not cause high cobalt readings. There never has been cobalt deficiency documented in the horse that would require cobalt administrations. When administered in high doses, cobalt is potentially performance enhancing and a proven horse welfare concern.

 

Since 2014, international racing regulatory efforts have been focused on establishing a raceday threshold for cobalt in horses.

 

An Australian cobalt study undertaken with funding from Australian and New Zealand racing conducted by Professor Brynn Hibbert (University of NSW) last year on Australian and New Zealand horses and updated on 29 February this year, titled Element Mass Concentration in Racing Horses stated: Using the best fit distribution, the probability of a regular horse exceeding the threshold of 200 ng/mL is nearly 1 in 8 million, and of exceeding the international threshold of 100 ng/mL is nearly 1 in 100 thousand....This statistical analysis indicates that the threshold could be reduced to the international level of 100ng/mL, while still maintaining a false positive probability that is essentially zero.

 

The International Federation of Horseracing Authorities has adopted a raceday threshold for cobalt of 0.01 micrograms (= 100 nanograms) total cobalt per millilitre in urine. This is set out in Article 6 – Prohibited Substances – of the International Agreement for Breeding, Racing and Wagering. New Zealand is a signatory to Article 6.

               

Thresholds are recommended by the Federation’s Advisory Council on Equine Prohibited Substances and Practices, after consultation with the Association of Official Racing Chemists and the International Group of Specialist Racing Veterinarians, and approved by the IFHA Executive Council.

 

The IFHA’s recommended threshold of 100 nanograms has been determined to permit the use of supplements that contain low levels of cobalt (such as Vitamin B12). However, as these supplements would not be considered normal feed and water, they must not be administered on raceday in accordance with the Rules of Racing.

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37 minutes ago, rdytdy said:

Sent by e-mail from Simon Cooper yesterday. 

Teddles, is that Simon Cooper of Horse Of The Year fame (or infamy)

How on earth is he still being given credibility??  

Or is all forgiven?  Or am I confused???

Or why is he still employed given his past history???  - oh dear, it's o.k. when you're an NZTR employee.  Silly me!!

Edited by Irish

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44 minutes ago, rdytdy said:

Sent by e-mail from Simon Cooper yesterday. 

OK, thanks Ted. From memory, which is not too flash these days I admit, but wasn't the IFHA rule supposed to be accompanied by a collateral requirement that no cobalt supplements be administered in the 24 hour period prior to race-day, not just on race-day?

And hasn't the Hibbert study conclusion been pretty much dissed as an estimate in recent scientific literature and expert witness testimony in recent Oz cases? Are the NZTR board still really relying on that?

And sent by Cooper on behalf of whom? The NZTR board?

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