Every 1-2 months, horses of all breeds and backgrounds are bought and sold through the local saleyard at the small southwest-Sydney town of Camden. Among them, ex-racehorses presented as 'unridden', bought for cheap by 'kill buyers' from knackeries across the state.
Of the many horses bought and killed by Luddenham Pet Meats and Burns Pet Foods in western Sydney - some from the Camden saleyards, others from a livestock company in Cootamundra, others from private drop-offs - hidden cameras captured the final moments of the following confirmed ex-racehorses:
- Formply
Prize money: $2,275. Bought by Luddenham Pet Meats at Camden for $200. - Halos Image
Prize money: $51,470. Bought by Burns Pet Foods at Camden for $380. - Perfectly Spun
Prize money: $0. Bought by Luddenham Pet Meats. - Rebel Prince
Prize money: $159,195. Bought by Luddenham Pet Meats. - Startreusse
Prize money: $115,675. Bought by Luddenham Pet Meats. - Touchdown Miss
Prize money: $375. Bought by Burns Pet Foods. - Unbuckled
Prize money: $2,625. Bought by Luddenham Pet Meats.
Others horses from the racing industry observed at the saleyards or holding pens of the knackeries:
- Cloverdale
Prize money: $12,462. Bought by Burns Pet Foods at Camden for $510. - Courtney's Luv
Prize money: $2,625. Observed in the holding pens at Luddenham Pet Meats. - Explore the World:
Prize money: $124,550. Bought by Burns Pet Foods at Camden for $510. - Grand Icon
Prize money: $2,950. Bought by Burns Pet Foods at Camden for $330. - Handson Approach
Never made it to the racetrack. Bought by Burns Pet Foods at Camden for $320. - Hard Reign
Never made it to the racetrack. Bought by Burns Pet Foods at Camden for $510. - Legal Waves
Prize money: $41,783. Bought by Burns Pet Foods at Camden for $370. - Millster
Prize money: $2,850. Bought by Luddenham Pet Meats at Camden for $350. - National Flag
Prize money: $1,500. Bought by Luddenham Pet Meats at Camden for $380. - Next of Kin
Never made it to the racetrack. Bought by Burns Pet Foods at Camden for $320. - Reliable Kingdom
Never made it to the racetrack. Bought by Burns Pet Foods at Camden for $510 - Griddlebone
Prize money: $76,270. Bought by Burns Pet Foods at Camden.
Many of these horses are officially listed as 'retired' on the Racing Australia website.
Numerous other thoroughbreds (used in regular flats and jumps racing) and standardbreds (used in harness racing) were observed being bought at the saleyard by knackeries, or waiting to be killed in the holding pens of knackeries, or killed on hidden camera - but could not be identified due to not having a microchip, or their branding not being clear in recorded footage, or their branding not matching records in the industry's database of racehorses.
