The Jockey Club urges all breeders who received DNA hair root sampling kits in the mail for their stallions and mares to use them promptly in order to avoid future delays and the possibility of missing the one year deadline for registering their 2001 foals.

“It has come to our attention that a number of breeders have delayed using the DNA hair kits they received for their stallions and mares,” said Jockey Club Registrar, Edward A. “Buddy” Bishop. “We are asking them to use the kits as soon as possible or risk not being able to complete the registration of their 2001 foals within the one year deadline, causing an increase in their registration fees.

“Although we have DNA types on file for 99 per cent of the stallions, it is imperative that the owners of the outstanding one per cent promptly use the hair kits they have in their possession. The same goes for mare owners who have received kits in the mail.

“If we do not have a DNA sample on file for a foal’s sire and dam, we will not be able to parentage verify the foal.”

As part of the phase-in of DNA-typing for the foal crop of 2001, more than 20,000 stallions and mares were DNA-typed from frozen blood samples retained at the genetic-typing laboratories contracted by The Jockey Club. Late last year, DNA hair root sampling kits were mailed for all stallions and mares whose retained sample could not be tested. Owners and breeders who haven’t already done so should use these kits immediately. DNA hair root sampling kits for mares without a retained sample are being mailed when shown as the dam of a live foal on a 2001 Live Foal Report.

The necessary DNA-typing of breeding stock is being carried out at no individual cost to owners and breeders. Additional information on DNA-typing, including step-by-step photos illustrating how to pull a DNA hair sample, is accessible through the “DNA Parentage Testing” icon on The Jockey Club home page, located at http://home.jockeyclub.com.