Daily Racing Thread Thursday 7th. Feb. 2019

I very much doubt there will be racing in the UK tomorrow. Probably not even for the next fortnight.

 

Morning chaps I’m hearing a lot of chatter this morning. Most concerning is that the infected horses include those that have been vaccinated by the leading brands which suggests this is a new strain.

The outbreak in Suffolk that was reported a week or so ago is apparently in a pre-training yard near Newmarket that is used by some of the major flat yards. The infected horses are all two years olds and in amongst them are a group of Irish horses that were unvaccinated - most likely they brought it over with them.

In all honesty, I think BHA need to come down like a ton of bricks - cancel racing for the next 7 days and put all yards that have been in touch with potentially infected horses under quarantine rules for the same period. They can’t let this get out of hand.

Next step is to finally insist on registration of pre-training yards as official racing premises, like racing yards, so that they are subject to the same regulations and inspections as everyone else.

 

Damn you Donald McCain look after your horses if they are sneezing man!He hasn't had a Cheltenham winner in so long he is trying to sabotage the meeting next month to make himself look good!!
I see the mighty Thurles gets the go ahead and one that caught my eye is Cher Why Not in 4.00.From a small yard in good form of late this lad has gone close here a couple of times so has some sort of course form.Opposition doesn't look the strongest so hoping today is the day he finally obliges at 3/1

 

HRI have announced that British trained horses will not be allowed to make entries in Irish races “for the short term”.

 

Gutted if racing doesn't go ahead on Saturday but yes they need to nip it in the bud. Surely if we are cancelling all meetings here this should equally apply to racing in Ireland. Doesn't sound very responsible to me.

 

Yep, I can’t see any racing taking place, in the Isle, for at least a fortnight.

Must say though, and this may be because of my warped sense of humour, I’m enjoying observing the ‘crisis’ much more than any race I can ever remember watching! Also why, and this has always been the case for the whole of my lifetime, when anyone from the ‘racing industry’ gets put in front of a TV camera do they present themselves as a total and utter prize plum?!? It really is uncanny and can always be depended upon. Other things may change in Austerity / Broken / Brexit / Lawless (delete as appropriate) Britain but you can always rely on that.

 

The AHT update is worth a read.

https://www.aht.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Equiflunet-outbreaks-2019-v2.pdf

 

Totally agree. The BHA have missed a trick here, they should have a disease outbreak procedure in place that states in these situations all information is disseminated by them - no racecourses, trainers, random journos giving their “opinions” just facts from the industry body and the AHT.

I’d bet my last penny that they don’t have a disease outbreak procedure in place at all, they’ll all be running round like headless chickens right now.

 

It’s also the total and utter arrogance that I find beyond belief and so, so annoying. It’s almost as if every single representative who appears has the condescending belief that they are right and no-one else knows anything or is even entitled to an opinion.

 

yes,it couldnt have come at a worse time than this.lets hope,it is soon over..

but trying to get back to daily business:

thurles,1 15:

EX PATRIOT is a horse i like a lot,also in his hurdling days,where he was very useful.ran with a degree of promise in two starts over fences,and this looks a bit less competitive today,compared to his other two assignments so far.so,if he can build on that here,massive shout!

 

Don’t count on it. Acts of god insurance small print. If there’s a way they’ll find it.

 

Seriously, they won’t be able to do anything but refund bets if the meeting fails to go ahead. There is no chance that bookmakers can charge bets against an event which is void. In effect, should this happen, the whole Festival will have been nullified and, to all intents and purposes, never existed.

 

Like strangles which we had a case of near to us recently, this influenza is airborne and highly contagious so owners and trainers will be reluctant to run. Stick makes a good point about gallops this could close down places like Newmarket temporarily. Cheltenham could be cancelled.

 

Their biggest turnover of the year cancelled. They’ll be looking at every opportunity to cut their losses and if that mean ripping off punters they won’t bat an eye.

 

Got to feel for the 11th richest man in Wales. He was on the brink of winning £17k today (Angel’s Breath) and £87k on Saturday (Al Dancer) and now he’ll receive nowt, nil, nothing. It would be especially galling for him if those amounts would have promoting him to 10th in the old rich list.

 

Right, who’s gonna start a greyhound thread?

 

Or seahorse racing in Poole Harbour....

 

The statements emerging seem to be more ominous, by the minute, and in all seriousness, people, it looks like it will be quite a while before we reconvene again…