With the organization's acting chief executive stressing the need to be proactive, the British Horseracing Authority is to introduce testing for gene doping as part of its anti-doping regime with immediate effect.
The addition of testing to uncover gene editing or other forms of genetic manipulation to the BHA's other anti-doping procedures comes after the governing body invested almost £2 million (approx. US$2.6 million) in supporting LGC laboratory, at Fordham in Cambridgeshire, to develop monitoring and detection.
Brant Dunshea, the BHA's acting chief executive and chief regulatory officer, underlined the importance of being alert to the potential threat, although he stressed there is no evidence to date that gene doping has taken place in British racing.
"Testing for gene doping is a significant step forward for British racing and reinforces our commitment to safeguarding the welfare of our horses, protecting the Thoroughbred breed and integrity of our competition," said Dunshea.
"While there are international examples of the use of genetic manipulation in other equestrian activities, there is no evidence to suggest that this is taking place in Britain or across any other international racing jurisdictions. However, scientific and technological advancements mean that genetic manipulation poses a very real risk to horse racing and the essence of the Thoroughbred breed.
"It's essential that we are proactive in this space, and through investing in this cutting-edge research, we now have the technological capabilities to detect and deter any attempts to exploit nefarious techniques that could give horses an unfair advantage."
The integrity and welfare threats posed to racing by various forms of genetic manipulation have been an area of concern for almost a decade, with the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities establishing a subcommittee on gene doping control as far back as 2016.
The IFHA's lead on the subject, Racing Australia's Dr. Natasha Hamilton, spoke at last August's Asian Racing Conference in Japan about both the potential scope for cheating and the progress being made in detection methods.
LGC's Dr. Edward Ryder, a member of the IFHA subcommittee, has led the research which led to the development of the tests.
"The BHA's long-term strategic investment into gene doping research at LGC means that we are now in a position to deploy routine tests to tackle this potential threat," said Dr. James Scarth, director of LGC's laboratory of animal sports testing. "LGC's team of expert scientists, led by Dr. Edward Ryder, have developed novel and effective solutions to detect both transgenes and their delivery vectors in equine samples."
Scarth added: "These innovative methods have been developed with flexibility in mind, allowing us to add new genes should new threats emerge, ensuring the relevance of the technology for years to come.
"The experimental work has been complemented in parallel with the establishment of partnerships with other global laboratories and racing authorities, which has led to the development of international guidelines for gene doping analyses."
