IN THE lead-up to one of Sydney's most prominent racing events, a St George resident wants people to consider the cruelty involved in horse racing.
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Despina Rosales said whipping horses, a common occurrence in many professional horse races, was cruel and should be banned.
Ms Rosales recently took part in a rally at Rosehill Race Course with Animals Australia.
The organisation has been running a "Whip hurts — ban them" campaign with the line "To beat an animal with a whip is a clear cut case of animal cruelty — unless you are a jockey, and the animal is a horse."
The upcoming BMW Sydney Carnival is touted as a glamour event but Ms Rosales said people needed to think beyond "betting and silly hats" and think about the animals.
"If I was jogging with my dog and whipped the dog I would be hauled into jail, people would be screaming at me on the street. Why aren't they horrified about horses being whipped?
An Animals Australia spokesman said a University of Sydney review found whipping did not improve performance and there was no connection between whip use and winning races.
Chairman of stewards, Racing NSW, Ray Murrihy said thoroughbred racing was a strictly regulated industry where the welfare of race horses was paramount.
"There are strict controls and restrictions on how and when the whip may be used, these were overhauled quite dramatically in 2009."
Should whips be banned in horseracing?