Evaluation of Different Patterns of Drug Consumption in the Ranking of Race Horses in National Racing of Iran: A Retrospective Study 2002-2015

Abstract

Introduction: Doping is fraudulent and must be prevented in the interests of horse racing as a national recreation. No sport can survive without the confidence of its supporters, so all deceitful practices must be eliminated. This study aimed to determine the rate of drug consumption in horse races in Iran during 2002, 2003, and 2005-2015 and evaluate Iran’s current dope control management. Materials and methods: The winner’s method was used to choose horses for drug testing, and only the first and second-place finishers in each race, and seldom the third, were picked. Data of horses during 13 years (2002, 2003, and 2005-2015) were collected. The dope test documents of 2004 were incomplete, so the related data were not analyzed. Results: The mean dope rate (2002, 2003, and 2005-2015) was 15.83%. The dope rates of 2002, 2003, and 2005-2015 were 29.4%, 33.8%, 21.7%, 10.54 %, 11.14%, 11.47%, 8.62%,4.71%, 18.6%, 20.6%, 16.9%, 22.6%, and 6.72 % respectively. From 2003 to 2010, the drug rate progressively decreased from 33.8% to 4.71%. Morphine, Phenylbutazone, Oxyphenbutazone, and caffeine were the most often utilized medicines. Twenty-one drug family types based on the mode of action were used through the years, of which 23.07 percent were combinations. From 2002 to 2010, the variety of medications utilized progressively declined. The noticeable aspect was high prevalence of dope in Iran, compared to developed countries. Conclusion: The results showed that the dope rate reduced from 2002 to 2015 in Iran racehorses. Routine tests are suggested for controlling doping, and strict rules must be established to prevent doping.