Australian Racing Executive Amanda Elliott: ‘What Is The U.S. Missing?’ On Medication Policy

Amanda Elliott hails from a family with a long history in thoroughbred racing, breeding and administration in Australia. She is a passionate racehorse owner and breeder, actively involved in the sport, both in Australia and Europe.

On February, 24 2017, Mrs Elliott was elected the first female Chairman of the Victoria Racing Club in its 154-year history. She looks to the future with a bold, ambitious vision.

Upon the eve of the internationally acclaimed Melbourne Cup Carnival, Mrs Elliott shared the following statement with the Water Hay Oats Alliance:

“When I visited Kentucky for the first time in May this year, I was absolutely amazed at the fact that there was debate and resistance to supporting the Horseracing Integrity Act to ban race day medications.

“There is no world-class sport anywhere that allows doping or performance enhancing drugs – it is absolutely fundamental.

“What is the U.S. missing, that the rest of the world has fully understood for quite some time?

“This world stage of racing with uniform international standards should have America at the forefront, not isolated at a time when global relevance is so important.

“We are two weeks out from Melbourne Cup Week and the 158th running of the great race…. Indeed we are celebrating the milestone of 25 years since an internationally trained horse came from the northern hemisphere to win the Cup of 1993. Excitement is building at Flemington as our increasingly larger numbers of international horses arrive from racing jurisdictions all over the world, safe in the knowledge that international standards on medications will not only be applied, but vigorously upheld.

“Global racing engagement is so important to the future of our sport, as well as the long term health of the breeding industry.

“The brand of our sport is vital and drugs play absolutely no part in a thriving, healthy global brand which has the confidence of all participants – whether they be owners, trainers, jockeys, breeders sponsors, punters, fans and animal lovers which we all are.

“I wholeheartedly support the Water Hay Oats Alliance and their desire to have this legislation passed.

“I look forward to the day when the global racing landscape has no boundaries.” – Amanda Elliott.

Elliott was elected to the VRC Committee in 2002, making her the second female Committee Member. She went on to become the first female Vice Chairman in 2011, and has played an integral role in pursuing the VRC’s master plan to enhance the race day experience at Flemington for members and the public, and to cement the VRC’s place on the world stage. During her time on the VRC Board, Elliott has served on a diverse range of committees, including the Australian Stud Book and as a director of Australian Genetics Testing.

In May of 2018, under Mrs Elliott’s leadership, the VRC joined racing heavyweights Ascot, Goodwood and Breeders’ Cup as an original signatory of World Horse Racing, a new media company that plans to produce stories, features and vision about thoroughbred racing from around the globe. The alliance will enhance the reach, the engagement and, most importantly, the global brand of horseracing.

The Water Hay Oats Alliance (WHOA) is a grassroots movement of like-minded individuals who support the passage of federal legislation to prohibit the use of performance-enhancing drugs in the sport of horse racing. The appointment of an independent anti-doping program run by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) will resolve the problem of widespread drug use in American racing and put U.S. racing jurisdictions in step with international standards.

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