Sydney Spring Carnival axed in wake of horse flu

Dubai: Sydney's Spring Racing Carnival, the largest sporting and social event in Australia, has been postponed indefinitely after eight racehorses tested positive for equine influenza and one died yesterday.

The Australian authorities moved swiftly in an attempt to contain the highly-contagious virus by declaring a 10km quarantine zone around the infected areas in New South Wales and cancelling all horse events and movements in the state.

A number of trainers and jockeys have also been banned from attending races in other states, including Victoria where the Melbourne Cup - Australia's richest and most prestigious horse race - is held in November.

The crisis has also threatened to ambush the $5 million race which has regularly attracted Dubai-owned challengers.

Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance and Industry, has won the Melbourne Cup twice in the past with Jeune (1994) and At Talaq (1986), and is likely to be represented by Tawqeet, 13th in the race last year.

Godolphin were also hoping to send a candidate with racing manager Simon Crisford saying: "It very much depends on how everything unfolds. The papers [in England] are telling us the Melbourne Cup carnival is going to be put back to December. We just need to monitor the situation and see what happens.

"If we have a realistic Melbourne Cup runner then we will be guided by the authorities over there," he told Foxsports.

Godolphin's best Melbourne Cup efforts were second place finishes with Central Park in 1999 and Give The Slip in 2001.

In England, veteran trainer Luca Cumani criticised the Australian authorities for 'over-reacting' to the situation.

"My fear is that bureaucrats and ministries will get involved," Cumani told the Guardian. "Flu is not a killer disease. If you isolate infected horses and stop movement for a while, and vaccinate the population then in a few weeks it will be over and done with.

"Unfortunately there seems to have been an over-reaction. It is not as if it is foot-and-mouth or mad cow disease."

Horses based in the UK would have to enter quarantine on September 16 if they were to travel to Australia. But with the situation worsening it is difficult to foresee that happening.

The virus

Horse flu (or equine influenza) refers to varieties of viruses that are widespread in horses.

The disease has a nearly 100 per cent infection rate in an unvaccinated horse population that has not been previously exposed to the virus.

Horses with horse flu can run a fever, have a dry cough and runny nose. Like humans they become depressed and reluctant to eat or drink, but usually recover in 2 to 3 months.