Horse flu fears cause suspension of Cup betting: [2 All-round First Edition]
John Stapleton, Tony Arrold. Weekend Australian; Canberra, A.C.T. [Canberra, A.C.T] 25 Aug 2007: 3.
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"This is potentially the biggest threat the thoroughbred and horse industry in Australia has ever faced, and nobody is going to take any risks," he said. Mr [Peter McGauran] did not name the suspect stallion but said the horse was extremely valuable, had a high profile and "served five mares a day at (a fee of) $200,000".
The only stallion that fits this profile is Encosta De Lago, who is booked to cover more than 200 mares again this season, including triple Melbourne Cup winner Makybe Diva, who had her first foal earlier this month. The horse behind the viral scare at Centennial Park is understood to be a weekend leisure hack. An outbreak of equine influenza in Japan has led to the suspension of all racing there, and threatens the return campaigns of last year's cup winner, Delta Blues, and runner-up, Pop Rock.
SPORTSBET has temporarily suspended betting on this year's Melbourne Cup following a feared outbreak of horse flu in Sydney and Melbourne.
Fifteen horses stabled at Sydney's Centennial Park have been diagnosed with respiratory problems, putting today's race meeting at nearby Randwick in jeopardy.
About 700 horses are stabled at or close to Randwick Racecourse.
The quarantining of the inner city stable complex yesterday came a day after quarantine officials announced that a stallion from thenorthern hemisphere was diagnosed with suspected equine influenza in Sydney.
The 27 other stallions brought to Australia with the sick horse have had their normal two-week quarantine extended to a month, along with 63 other horses that had been in quarantine with them at Eastern Creek, in Sydney's west, and Spotswood in Victoria.
The 30-day quarantine means the breeding season -- due to start on September 1 -- will be delayed for the affected stallions.
Sportsbet chief executive Matt Tripp said they were suspending betting on the Melbourne Cup at this stage only because of thenumber of international horses scheduled to come to Australia.
"There's been a bit of mail that a lot may decide not to come because of the fear of the influenza," Mr Tripp said.
"The cup is only a matter of months away and involves a lot of international horses. We need to find out exactly what is going on, and pinpoint the problems."
Federal Agriculture Minister Peter McGauran said blood tests indicated a strong suspicion of a recently acquired infection in the horse at Eastern Creek.
"This is potentially the biggest threat the thoroughbred and horse industry in Australia has ever faced, and nobody is going to take any risks," he said. Mr McGauran did not name the suspect stallion but said the horse was extremely valuable, had a high profile and "served five mares a day at (a fee of) $200,000".
The only stallion that fits this profile is Encosta De Lago, who is booked to cover more than 200 mares again this season, including triple Melbourne Cup winner Makybe Diva, who had her first foal earlier this month. The horse behind the viral scare at Centennial Park is understood to be a weekend leisure hack. An outbreak of equine influenza in Japan has led to the suspension of all racing there, and threatens the return campaigns of last year's cup winner, Delta Blues, and runner-up, Pop Rock.
Equine influenza expert Gregory Tannock of RMIT University said the virus could cost the racing and breeding industries millions of dollars: "While it is unlikely to kill many horses, it has a capacity to spread and become an epidemic."
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