Well known NSW breeder Ian Smith of Edinburgh Park has moved swiftly in response to last week’s shocking ABC documentary The Final Race, announcing all horses that carry his brand can always come home.
"When I saw the show I was affected and I wanted to show leadership, ensuring that no horse carrying Edinburgh's IKS brand will ever end up at an abattoir or knackery," Smith said.
"Someone needed to step up and we're a well-known stud in Australia and we care about our horses."
Edinburgh Park have a first class reputation for producing top quality racehorses including world champion sprinter Silent Witness, stakes-winners such as Bull Point, Amovatio, Sister Madly, Dances on Waves and this season’s two year-old stakes-winner Tanker.
The IKS brand is well recognized at yearling sales around the country with their boutique drafts always much admired and highly prized
Smith has implemented a price guarantee on any Edinburgh Park-bred horses, ruling out their horses being purchased for slaughter.
"Any horse that is carrying our brand, we price guarantee $1000 which rules out a knackery or any abattoir purchasing a horse bred by Edinburgh Park,” Smith said.
"It's an initiative that I thought long and hard about, and I wanted to do something for the longevity of not just my business, but the industry as a whole.
"The welfare of the horse matters most and that's why Edinburgh Park has been so successful - because the horse comes first, and always has."
Smith called on others in the industry to take action on an issue that is not going away.
