Spring Romance – double entries on Saturday
THE RACING INDUSTRY is eagerly awaiting news of whether horse racing can resume this week following the outbreak of equine influenza last week. The BHA is expected to make an announcement this evening following a meeting of the influential industry veterinary committee.
It has now been well documented in news which made the national headlines last week that following four cases of equine influenza at Donald McCain’s Cholmondeley yard, a six-day blanket ban was imposed on all British racing starting last Wednesday.
Following mandatory testing of all horses at yards which had runners at Ludlow and Ayr last Tuesday and Wolverhampton last Monday, meetings where Grand National-winning trainer, McCain had had runners, ten horses have been found to have contracted the virus. They include four in Newmarket at Simon Crisford’s Kremlin House Stables, although Sajanjl, who raced at Newcastle last Tuesday, was tested and this proved negative.
Equine influenza is a highly contagious virus which although rarely life threatening leaves horses with runny noses and coughs and is a debilitating respiratory disease. The BHA has certainly acted quickly and taken no chances with 174 stables being tested and on Sunday around 1,500 samples had been tested, all negative.
I spoke to Dean Ivory last week after the outbreak of the story and he reported that the yard (which had no runners at the BHA targeted meetings) was fine. Naturally, the news was frustrating for him and all trainers up and down the country given the prevailing short-term uncertainty about when racing would resume.
In the meantime, Solario Racing’s four-time winner, Spring Romance, has been entered in two sprint races on Saturday, at Lingfield and Kempton. He will get into both races, so it’s good to have options. The 4yo son of Zebedee was never out of the prize money in seven races last year and went up two stone in the handicap.
Spring Romance owners and all in racing eagerly await news from the BHA about whether racing will resume this week. Fingers, toes and hooves crossed!
