Tas horse handler stood down over ‘punch’

A barrier attendant who appeared to strike a racehorse in Tasmania has been stood down by the state’s racing body pending a steward’s inquiry.

Video on social media appears to show the handler punching horse Century Arrow near barriers before race one at Launceston on Wednesday night.

“Animal welfare is a strong focus for Tasracing, and we do not condone what appears to have occurred in the incident in question in any way,” Tasracing CEO Vaughn Lynch said in a statement.