The BHA Centre for Racehorse Studies (CRS) is located within the British Racing School (BRS) in Newmarket. This is a programme, run by the BHA, that conducts studies to provide information to establish detection time advice for medication use in horses to racing vets and trainers. The findings from the CRS studies are also shared internationally. As well as exploring detection times for medication, the CRS also manages up to date analytical processes that are considered on a European basis and used for determining international guidelines for medication control.

The summer provided the opportunity to spring clean all the stables in the CRS barn and undertake any essential maintenance work. Along with the regular maintenance work the staff room has seen a re-fit and CCTV has been installed in two study stables. The team constantly monitor the horses and need to be close at hand to capture urine samples. The CCTV enables the team to keep a close eye on the horses without sitting outside the stable, so the horses can enjoy even more peace and quiet.

The CRS will again have its doors open to the public for the Newmarket open weekend on Saturday 19 September. All visitors are welcome, with doors opening at 10am and closing at 2pm, in time for racing at Newmarket.

Whiskey Junction and Mutajarred have both been rehomed through Equine Management and Training (EMT), where they are undergoing re-schooling before moving on to their new homes. They both have new owners lined up for them, which were arranged some time before they left the CRS. Mutajarred left the CRS to join the BRS in 2012, where he has been one of the more popular horses with the students. The team at CRS look forward to hearing updates on how the horses are enjoying their new careers. Thanks must go to EMT for their tireless efforts in matching horses to the right owners.

Two new arrivals came to the CRS recently, Zero Money is a nine-year-old gelding who won six races in his career and has been gifted by Hugo Palmer. The second is Chez Vrony, a nine-year-old gelding from Dave Morris.

When new horses arrive at the CRS they have a one month trial, which allows for a settling in period for the horse and the team to get to know each other and assess suitability. Since the horses are based at the BRS they can be ridden by either complete beginners or Apprentice and Conditional jockeys. Some horses have the ability to jump and the CRS like to utilise these skills teaching pupils to jump poles or on the schooling ground over hurdles.

Earlier this year the CRS were visited by equinITy, to test a product which is a GPS and heart rate monitor that downloads information about how a horse has performed during exercise. The product fits onto the horse’s girth and transmits data in real time to a tablet, telling the observer the horse’s speed, distance travelled and heart rate. It was trialled on one of the CRS horses, with impressive results and its benefits to trainers are obvious. There are several trainers already using this type of product already, and the CRS could help to test if these devices can be used more widely in racing in the future.

For more information about the CRS visit: https://www.britishhorseracing.com/resource-centre/veterinary-welfare/centre-for-racehorse-studies/