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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Greg Wood and Tony Paley

Equine flu: racing will not resume until 13 February at earliest – as it happened

A view of a sign at Huntingdon racecourse after Thursday’s racing was abandoned.
A view of a sign at Huntingdon racecourse after Thursday’s racing was abandoned. Photograph: Joe Giddens/PA

Confirmation from the courses holding Friday and Saturday’s meetings. Greg Wood will be filing a piece later, but that concludes the blog for today.

Updated

Racing off till next Wednesday at earliest

The British Horseracing Authority have announced that horse racing will not resume until next Wednesday at the earliest. A decision on a possible resumption on that date will be taken on Monday. You can read the full press release here.

Updated

With the meetings at the weekend almost certain to be called off, speculation will soon start if Newbury’s important card on Saturday is lost. Trainers would not want to lose races such as the Betfair Hurdle and the Denman Chase, or the Kingmaker Chase at Warwick for that matter. Betfair are also sponsoring at Ascot the following weekend, where the Betfair Ascot Chase is due to take place, and the option of running the big races scheduled for Newbury there will surely be one that will be looked at in the coming days.

Cue Card returning to the Ascot unsaddling area after running in the Betfair Chase there last year.
Cue Card returning to the Ascot unsaddling area after running in the Betfair Chase there last year. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

Over 100 stables in lockdown over flu outbreak

The Racing Post are now confirming earlier speculation here about the extent of the testing now taking place in yards throughout the country. The Post are reporting that ‘The lockdown applies to British-based trainers who had runners at Ayr or Ludlow on Wednesday or Wolverhampton on Monday. They will have their entire string tested on Friday and no declarations will be accepted from the trainers until the all-clear is given.’

Updated

Meanwhile, the British Horseracing Authority’s chief regulatory officer has been speaking to the BBC:

If all the horses that ran at Ludlow and Ayr on Wednesday are having to be tested and a stables such as that of prominent trainer Paul Nicholls is in lockdown then it is getting increasingly difficult to envisage racing resuming in the very near future.

Lovely gesture from Huntingdon racecourse:

More very useful information from racing journalist Terry Norman on the extent of the tests and work being done across British racing stables right now:

Updated

McCain confirms flu outbreak at yard

Trainer Donald McCain has confirmed that three horses in his yard have tested positive for equine flu. In a statement released on behalf of the trainer he said:

“I have been aware of the recent news about Equine Influenza outbreaks in France and Ireland, and over the last couple of days, I have been concerned about the health status of a small number of horses in the yard. Their welfare is at the front of our minds, so at my request, our veterinary surgeon has examined them regularly and we have followed his advice on testing and treatment. It was by following this protocol that the positive results for equine flu came to light [on Wednesday] evening. The BHA were contacted immediately and we are liaising closely with them about biosecurity and management of all the horses at Bankhouse.

“Bankhouse follows all the available advice on disease control and all our horses are fully inoculated. We are scrupulous about observing the health status of horses in our care and taking the necessary steps to treat any condition that may affect them. It follows we would never race any horses that we could have known were infected. Over the last two months, all potential runners have been scoped and their blood checked within 36 hours of their races to ensure that only healthy horses compete for the yard.

“When new horses arrive at our yard we, as much as possible, try to keep them separate but at this stage cannot know if the infection came from recent arrivals or from horses returning from racing. We have three confirmed cases and this morning have taken blood and swabs from all the others for testing.”

Trainer Donald McCain’s yard is at the centre of the equine flu outbreak which has shutdown racing in Britain on Thursday.
Trainer Donald McCain’s yard is at the centre of the equine flu outbreak which has shutdown racing in Britain on Thursday. Photograph: David Davies/PA

Updated

Bookies' share prices take a hit

One business for whom the racing shutdown is definitely not good news is the bookmaking industry. Foreign racing is filling the screens this afternoon but betting shops and online bookies are taking a hit and that has been reflected in the share prices today. As of 2pm William Hill shares were down around 2.28%, GVC Holdings (which own Ladbrokes and Coral) had suffered a 2.71% hit and Paddy Power/Betfair were registering a 2.3% downturn.

Philip Trampe of Bettingexpert.com commented: “The importance of British racing to the industry is reflected in the share price movements of the major betting concerns today, especially those with a large retail exposure. For example, William Hill, Paddy Power Betfair and GVC all suffered as their share price slipped because of fears of the equine flu.

“Losing out on four meetings on a quiet Thursday in February might not seem like a big deal, but in fact, it’s estimated that today’s cancellations could end up costing the industry £20m. This goes to show how loyal a section of the British-facing industry’s customer base is to racing in this country and it’s not a given their betting spend transfers elsewhere on a like-for-like basis.”

Ladbrokes have suffered a fall in shares today along with other bookmakers after the racing shutdown.
Ladbrokes have suffered a fall in shares today along with other bookmakers after the racing shutdown. Photograph: Christopher Thomond/The Guardian

The veteran Newmarket trainer Mark Tompkins is not happy at the racing shutdown and has used his website to voice his frustration with the general level of cleanliness at racecourse stables:

‘We have so much racing nowadays and with racecourses wanting more and more fixtures they don’t have time to clean the stables properly. I am also certain they do not use the right disinfectant either. Even yesterday at Ludlow horse feed was found in a stable from the previous meeting. A horse had already been put in the box before it was discovered. It obviously hadn’t been mucked out, or disinfected, as all this costs money and manpower, which the racecourses say they cannot afford, or it is a cost cutting measure. We have had a lot of examples in recent months of this.

We also have a sale nearly every day, horses are running all over the world and transporters bring them in from every point of the globe. All this is very exciting for certain people but it means the risk of an outbreak is enlarged and this is possibly what is happening in this case. There is also a rise of pre-training yards, who are not licenced and are under financial pressure, and that, once again, increases the risk of infection as they move from yard to yard. The BHA seem to be powerless in preventing an outbreak and I just hope that this now concentrates a few more minds, but it will cost a lot more money.’

Newmarket trainer Mark Tompkins.
Newmarket trainer Mark Tompkins. Photograph: Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images

Updated

The equine flu outbreak in Australia in 2007 was much more serious than this latest incident threatens to be. Here’s our racing correspondent Greg Wood on the background to that story.

A member of the stable staff leads her horse out of the Randwick race meeting after the card was abandoned in 2007.
A member of the stable staff leads her horse out of the Randwick race meeting after the card was abandoned in 2007. Photograph: Getty Images

The reason Wolverhampton has been called off on Saturday is reportedly that a horse from Donald McCain’s yard ran earlier this week. Racing journalist and handicapper Terry Norman has some interesting background on what is happening in stables around Britain now:

You can sample the delights of ‘virtual racing’ here (the ‘action’ starts at 01:21):

Spinning Green wins a ‘virtual’ horserace ... with Changeofhorse, ridden by Charlie Carson (!) in third.

One of the betting products on offer in bookmakers these days is ‘virtual racing’, which many have been surprised to find out actually exists. There was an appropriate winner this lunchtime according to one well-known member of the racing Twitterati, with one wag suggesting ‘Egg and Chips’ had become the bookies’ bread and butter (ouch):

Updated

Interesting news from Timeform pundit Martin Dixon about the situation at Donald McCain’s yard, the stable at the centre of the current outbreak affecting the horse racing industry:

For those of you tuning into the World at One on Radio 4, Sky Sports Racing presenter Gina Bryce will be discussing the current situation and the issues raised by the equine flu outbreak at around 1.25pm:

Following on from Professor Proudman’s comments there was a useful intervention from ITV Racing pundit Kevin Blake this lunchtime on Sky Sports Racing, especially on why “some of the fears and comparisons to the Australian outbreaks in 2007 are exaggerated”. This is well worth a listen:

Professor Christopher Proudman, head of the school of veterinary medicine at the University of Surrey, has provided some background on the current racing crisis:

“Equine influenza is a highly infectious respiratory disease that affects all horses causing symptoms similar to those experienced by people with influenza. Infected horses cannot train or race for several weeks and some horses may develop severe, secondary bacterial infections.

“The UK horse population has been largely free from influenza for several decades due to a rigorous vaccination policy implemented by the regulators of equestrian sports, including horse racing, and a nationwide surveillance and testing programme supported financially by the racing industry [via the Horserace Betting Levy Board].

“It is a tribute to the effectiveness of disease surveillance that the current outbreak has been detected so early, to date only three cases have been detected in racehorses. The early, decisive action taken by the British Horseracing Authority, the regulatory body of UK horse racing, will minimise the risk of transmission of the virus between racehorses, thereby minimising the impact of this serious threat to horse welfare.”

A view of Huntingdon racecourse after racing was called off.
A view of Huntingdon racecourse after racing was called off. Photograph: Joe Giddens/PA

Updated

Cheltenham confident Festival will go ahead

The Cheltenham Festival, which was called off in 2001 after the foot and mouth outbreak, has been uppermost in the minds of racing followers after last night’s shock news. But officials at the track appear confident the precautions taken by the British Horseracing Authroity should ensure the meeting goes ahead.

A statement from Cheltenham Racecourse given to Sky Sports Racing read: “We are working with the BHA on this matter and hope that the early actions of the BHA will ensure that this outbreak of Equine Influenza can be contained. We look forward to racing resuming as soon as possible, and hope that this will be well in advance of the Festival in five weeks’ time.”

It’s not just racecourses that are affected by the equine flu outbreak. Horse movements are being restricted in a number of areas. Lambourn in Berkshire is the most important centre for jumps racing in the country:

The bookies are not exactly scraping around for events to bet on with racing at Sha Tin, Thurles and Meydan keeping the ‘racing’ show on the road today but Paddy Power have got in on the act and are now betting on when racing will resume:

Updated

The Animal Health Trust have issued useful guidelines with regard to the equine flu outbreak which can be read in full here. Live updates can be followed via @equiflunet

Warwick are also due to race on Saturday with the reappearance of the exciting Kalashnikov in the Kingmaker Novice Chase and the OLBG Mares’ Hurdle the highlights. That track is also on standby awaiting the expected announcement from the British Horseracing Authority later today:

The next major race meeting is at Newbury on Saturday when the highlights include the big betting race of the month, the Betfair Hurdle, and the clash between King George winner Clan Des Obeaux and Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Native River in the Denman Chase. Trainers, who want to run their horses in important prep races for the Cheltenham Festival; punters, who will by then be desperate for a bet on domestic racing, and the sponsors will be hoping the card gets the go-ahead.

BBC sports journalist Alistair Magowan is asking the question we’re all asking, well at least the male half of the population anyway:

Updated

British horses restricted from running in Ireland

They race at Thurles today and the Irish racing authorities have announced that racing will continue in Ireland. However, British trainers will not be able to enter horses in Irish races for the moment. Dr Lynn Hillyer of the the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board says: “We have taken the precaution of restricting entries here from Britain. It is a prudent step in the short term for us to restrict runners here from Britain.”

Saturday's Wolverhampton meeting off

Although the British Horseracing Authority are not going to make an announcement until Thursday evening about the prospects for racing on Friday, Wolverhampton have already called off their scheduled Saturday all-weather fixture.

One of the major concerns about the equine flu outbreak was the fact that there were runners from Ireland at Ayr yesterday, potentially putting the sport across the Irish Sea at risk. The Ayr runners were from the Gordon Elliott yard, and the trainer has just issued this statement via his Betfair blog:

“The horses we ran at Ayr yesterday never came back to our yard and instead went to a non-racing isolation yard that is about twenty five minutes away from where we are based.

“We’ve been told that the chances of this effecting [sic] our runners from yesterday is very remote but we can’t take any chances whatsoever and those horses that went to Ayr will be quarantined as long as they have to be.

“Hopefully everything will get back to normal in Britain as quickly as possible but from our point of view it’s business as usual and we’re sending seven horses to Thurles today.”

Trainer Gordon Elliott in his kitchen on Wednesday morning.
Trainer Gordon Elliott in his kitchen on Wednesday morning. Photograph: Pat Healy/racingfotos.com/Rex/Shutterstock

Updated

Friday racing decision expected tonight

The BHA has just issued an update (which you can read in full here) on its efforts to deal with the outbreak of equine influenza which forced the cancellation of all racing in Britain today, emphasising that it is “still in the early stages of assessing the scale and severity of the outbreak”.

It confirms that “further test results”, presumably including those from the two horses which raced yesterday from the affected yard, should be known “this evening”. Once the results are back, the BHA will convene a meeting with its vets “to discuss the implications and a decision will then be made as to the impact on racing in the coming days”.

A decision on whether tomorrow’s race meetings – at Bangor-on-Dee, Kempton Park, Southwell and Newcastle – will go ahead is also expected later this evening.

The latest BHA update also points out that comparisons with the situation in Australia in 2007, when an outbreak of equine influenza affected racing for several months and caused hundreds of meetings to be abandoned, could be premature.

“The situation here is not the same as the incident in Australia in 2007,” it says. “Australian thoroughbreds are not vaccinated against influenza, while British thoroughbreds are, as the virus is endemic in the UK. Therefore an important barrier is in place to prevent the same situation occurring here. However, as we have seen in Europe, the virus has affected vaccinated horses in this case. The vaccine should however help reduce to a certain extent the effect and spread of the disease in thoroughbreds.”

Three cases of equine flu confirmed

Racing woke up to the news that all four scheduled race meetings in Britain on Thursday have been cancelled following confirmation of three cases of equine flu in vaccinated horses in a racing yard which sent runners to the meetings at Ayr and Ludlow on Thursday.

The trainer concerned is believed to be Donald McCain, whose Bankhouse Stables in Cheshire is home to more than 100 horses and is the only racing stable to send runners to both of Wednesday’s National Hunt meetings.

Equine influenza is highly contagious, has an incubation period of between one and five days and its symptoms can persist for several weeks. In severe cases, a horse might be unable to exercise for two or three months and a severe outbreak would have the potential to close down Britain’s racing industry for many weeks.

The immediate question on the mind of every racing professional and fan is how long the shutdown is likely to continue, with the jumps season approaching its climax at the Festival meeting at Cheltenham next month and many valuable trials for those races scheduled over the next two weeks.

The Festival is due to open on 12 March, in 33 days’ time, and many trainers will be planning a run for their best horses over the next fortnight to put the finishes touches to regimes that have been geared towards the sport’s showpiece event over the course of many months. Nearly 300 British-trained horses ran at last year’s Festival and 82, almost one-third, made their final start between 20 and 33 days before the meeting.

Newbury’s card on Saturday, which includes the Betfair Hurdle, the Game Spirit Chase and the Denman Chase, a significant trial for the Cheltenham Gold Cup, is arguably the most significant card in Britain in the run-up to the Festival, while the Grade Two Kingmaker Chase at Warwick the same afternoon is a likely target for Kalashnikov, a leading contender for the Arkle Trophy in March. The final Grade One event in Britain before the Cheltenham Festival, meanwhile, is the Betfair Ascot Chase at Ascot on 16 February.

Brant Dunshea, the British Horseracing Authority’s chief regulatory officer, told Sky Sports Racing a few minutes ago that its priority is to establish whether the two horses to race at Ludlow and Ayr on Wednesday were incubating the virus.

“We’re very fortunate in this country that our [racehorse] population is vaccinated against equine influenza,” Dunshea said, “but we’re still trying to understand what particular strain of equine influenza this is. The fact that it has appeared in a vaccinated population does cause us some concern, so we’re working quickly to try and understand what’s happened there.

“Key to our decision-making is understanding exactly the status of the horses that we know raced yesterday from the infected yard. We will have information in relation to samples taken from those two horses later this afternoon or early this evening.”

Updated

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