Racing: Banned drug reduces risk of bleeding in horses

A drug banned in Australian horse racing has been found to dramatically reduce the risk of bleeding in the lungs of thoroughbreds, veterinary academics say.

The bleeding, which occurs when horses race, is a common disorder affecting up to 75 per cent of thoroughbreds across the globe.

But use of the medication, furosemide, could prompt some racing jurisdictions to reconsider a ban on the drug, which is linked to improved performance.

In the US, where US$35 million ($53 million) is spent annually on the drug, furosemide is used to treat horses who suffer from bleeding but it is banned on racedays by most countries.

Professor Ken Hinchcliff, dean of the faculty of veterinary science at the University of Melbourne and co-author of the study, said the research provided the most reliable information to guide debate.

"We know that furosemide is associated with improved performance, and that exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage [EIPH] markedly affects race performance," Professor Hinchcliff said.

"But we didn't know the answer to the third - and most important - leg of the trifecta: whether furosemide is effective in treating EIPH. We now know," he said.

- AAP