THOROUGHBRED HORSES

DNA Profiling of Horse Urine Samples to Confirm Donor Identity

  • 21 pages

  • Published: 12 Jul 2009

  • Author(s): Hawthorne, Paula, Wang-Holmes, Jenny, Cawdell-Smith, Judy, Trezise, Ann E.O.

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This RIRDC report examines methods developed to allow urine samples from horses to be independently identified using DNA profile analysis. It makes recommendations that are relevant to Australian horse racing authorities, Australian horse racing drug testing laboratories, and the horse racing, harness racing, turf and jockey clubs and authorities across Australia.

The capacity to provide independent and unambiguous confirmation of the identity of the donor of a biological test sample (whether urine or blood) would be of enormous benefit to the Australian horse racing industry. Drug testing is routinely carried out in race meets across Australia and has become an increasingly sophisticated science with tests being made for an increasing number of drugs.
However, the increased efficiency and frequency of drug testing has also led to a need for independent confirmation of the identity of a drug-positive urine sample. This would remove any question of sample substitution and would provide unequivocal identification of the horse that provided the drug-positive sample.