Horse Training Success

I generally don't bet on horse racing (Melbourne Cup excepted) but right now I'd bet that the rest of the world is glad that Australia is a far away island. Looks like we've got some major trouble stirring here in the form of Equine Influenza. There's all sorts of scare stories floating about at the moment regarding losing the breeding season (we're just going into spring) as horse movements have been halted (no visiting stallions) and the entire Spring Racing Carnival being called off, again due to quarantine.

Here's to hoping the problem was spotted and dealt with early enough!

From the Sydney Morning Herald:
The flu outbreak has shut down the multi-billion dollar racing and breeding industry since Saturday - costing the industry at least $100 million so far.....

.....Almost 300 horses have been quarantined at Warwick's Morgan Park since the weekend after at least four horses at the world cup eventing qualifier showed signs of the horse flu.
The number of horses now showing flu symptoms had blown out to 20, EFA vet Julian Willmore said this afternoon. Spectators and competitors have been banned from leaving the site as authorities move to contain the outbreak.

"I'd expect that [the virus is] very contagious and I wouldn't be surprised if the 250 horses we've got on the ground all became infected and show various signs of infection," Dr Willmore told ABC Radio.....

....So far, in NSW 47 horses have been confirmed as having EI.
Many of the affected horses in NSW are stabled at Centennial Park, close to Randwick Racecourse, which has also been shut due to fears four horses might be infected.....

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Labels: choosing a horse, equine influenza, horse racing, horses, quarantine