Foot and mouth no scare for Sunline, says McKee

Trevor McKee, who trains New Zealand's champion mare and leading Dubai Duty Free contender Sunline, yesterday rejected claims that the foot and mouth scare in Dubai could force them to change their plans.

"I've only just arrived here this morning so it's a little to early to asses the situation, but I'm sure we're in very safe hands," McKee told Gulf News yesterday.

"I've been in touch with the Emirates Racing Association and Mr Les Benton has assured me that everything is under control with regard to the foot and mouth disease, and that there's no reason to get alarmed.

"As far as I'm concerned we're here to race and that's our immediate priority," he said.

Sunline, the winner of nine Group One races, arrived in Dubai last Thursday to prepare for the $2 million Dubai Duty Free the main support race to the $6 million Dubai World Cup scheduled to be run here on March 24.

McKee said the only likely problem would arise after the race when Sunline would have to be shipped back to Australia.

But he said that Australian authorities had assured him that they were prepared to make an acception with Sunline and allow the champion mare back into the country after the Dubai race, even though this week they said horses were to be banned from entering Australia from Ireland and Britain.

This would enable Sunline to return to New Zealand through Melbourne.

Foot-and-mouth does not normally affect horses, but the disease can be carried by the animals or in their equipment, bedding or fodder.

Eight cases of foot-and-mouth disease in imported cattle were discovered in the UAE late Tuesday, but the authorities have said the outbreak was 'limited and contained.' The first cases of the disease were discovered in a slaughterhouse in Al Ain.

Around 80 foreign-based horses from 17 countries are lined up for the $15.25 million Dubai World Cup meeting of seven races.

The meeting has not been affected by Britain's foot-and-mouth crisis as most of the British-based horses have been in Dubai since January, well before the outbreak.

"We are satisfied that we have taken all necessary steps to virtually eliminate any risk of this virus being introduced by any of these horses," Tom Morton, head of Dubai's Quarantine Centre said.

"We've taken advice from the foot-and-mouth disease Reference Laboratory in the United Kingdom and we have put a protocol in place - it has been there for several weeks now."