SENIOR executives from the Turf Club, Horse Sport Ireland, the Irish Greyhound Board and the Department of Agriculture have formed a new body to regulate the use of medication in horse and greyhound racing.

The group, named Management of Intelligence and Drugs Action in Sport (MIDAS), met for the first time this week to discuss how effective management of intelligence combined with investigatory activities can combat the use of illegal drugs in animal sports.

Chairperson of the meeting Hilary Forde (IGB) said: “All sports regulatory authorities are cognisant of the various challenges we face driving international best practice across doping and medication control, especially within a limited resource environment. Accordingly, working together to achieve common goals through forums such as MIDAS ensures both our commitment to welfare of the animal and that the integrity of animal sports is derived from a level playing field.”

Other areas set to be tackled by MIDAS include recent developments on importation of illegal drugs and medication control, identification of potential new doping substances, strengthening communication and data sharing in the field and development of new tools and strategies to fight against doping in sports and enhancing transparency and robust disciplinary procedures for all sports authorities.

The Turf Club’s chief executive Denis Egan said: “With the imminent publication of the report of the Irish Thoroughbred Anti-Doping Task Force, the resource that this group will provide will greatly assist our future work.”