Horse Racing Moments

With the news last week about equine flu cases in Australia, I am sure that many horse racing enthusiasts felt pangs of anxiety.  Imagine those who have stakes on those horses and the upcoming races – how do they feel now?  Despite the ban that was meant to stop the spread of the flu before it became disastrous, the situation was not controlled enough.  This has resulted in the cancellation of the Sydney Spring Racing Carnival.

I am sure that those who have heard of the news are in dismay over the turn of things.  However, think about the state of New South Wales which has to deal with an estimated $ 204.5 million loss.  According to the Thoroughbred Times “Major races affected are the Epsom Handicap (Aus-G1), Metropolitan Handicap (G1), and George Main Stakes (Aus-G1) and other group races that are pointers to either the Melbourne Spring Carnival or toward the Sydney Autumn Carnival.

Royal Randwick Racecourse remains in stringent lockdown, but horses may exercise under strict protocols. Approximately 700 horses are stabled at the racecourse course and another 1,000 in adjacent private stables.

Racing New South Wales said Friday it hopes that racing can resume at Royal Randwick on Melbourne Cup (Aus-G1) day, November 6.”

At present, Australian horse owners and enthusiasts are finding ways to deal with the situation, including meetings wherein they can come up with solutions to support those who have been affected by this incident.

Meanwhile, in other parts of Australia, horse racing is being held intermittently.

A three-day ban has been implemented in major locations in Australia due to the outbreak of equine flu in Sydney.  Affected areas are New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania.  The ban disallows the transport of horses in an effort to contain the highly contagious disease.

The equine flu is a respiratory illness that makes the horses tired.  It is rarely fatal but is highly contagious.  Humans are safe from the virus but can be carriers (through their clothing).  Though the case of equine flu is not that bad at the moment, Australian authorities are not taking any risks.  The breeding season for horses is coming up next month and too much is at stake.  Soon after the breeding season, horse racing activities are set to reach frenzied heights with the Spring Carnival, including the Melbourne Cup.

According to the Racing Board of Australia, if the flu spreads, the horse racing industry could be shut down for months.  This, of course, is something that they are not looking forward to and as such they are doing everything they possibly could to prevent any outbreak.  So far, the equine flu has been reported only in Japan, which Australian officials say may be the source of their own occurrences.  This is because Japanese stallions regularly come into the country during the breeding season.  Their horses also race during the Spring Carnival.

As of yet, there is no clear decision on what will happen in the next month or so.