With no international governing body controlling doping in racehorses, anti-doping regulations can vary, sometimes significantly, from one country to another. Such inconsistency could hinder the sport's global growth, said one international racing scientific expert.

“International races (with racehorses from different countries competing) cannot be all that attractive if they are conducted in different countries according to different rules,” said Terence S.M. Wan, PhD, EurChem, CSci, CChem, FRSC, FAORC, FFSSoc, head of the racing laboratory and chief racing chemist at The Hong Kong Jockey Club. “The harmonization and ultimately standardization of the rules (including those for doping control) will facilitate the globalization of horse racing.”

Wan and Jenny K.Y. Wong, PhD, CSci, CChem, MRSC, MAORC, also of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Racing Laboratory, recently completed a review of the current status of doping control analyses in horse racing worldwide. They explored sample collection, sample analysis techniques, inconsistencies among countries, and related challenges.

While many countries have adopted some or all of the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities' (IFHA) anti-doping recommendations, others have not, Wan said. The IFHA acts as a centralizing unit, but it is not a governing authority. And its recommendations to its member countries worldwide are suggestions, not requirements