The Horse Flu Thread

[DIEHARD]

All hell has broken loose in Queensland racing with horse races shut down till Feb 1.

Press conference has taken place with Racing Minister Andrew Fraser.

EI has infected Brisbane metropolitian horses, atm Gold Coast and Ipswich are unaffected.

How this will affect greyhounds which share Albion Park with the harness racers and the Gold Coast is still to be known, but Albion Park trials is cancelled for tomorrow.

Hopefully greyhounds won't lose their premier track until Feb 1 as well. Ipswich is self contained and can carry some burden of meetings.

[DIEHARD]

DPI website is down.

[DIEHARD]

Racing cancelled until February

HORSE racing in Brisbane is likely to be suspended until February following a horse flu outbreak near the city's racing precinct.

Racing Minister Andrew Fraser this afternoon said the discovery of equine influenza (EI) at stables in the Brisbane suburbs of Hendra and Deagon meant it was highly unlikely any racing events would be scheduled in the city before February 1 next year.

"We have a very significant issue that will require the industry as a whole to take a number of drastic measures to secure the long term future of the industry," he said.

"This undoubtedly is Queensland racing's darkest hour."

Mr Fraser said Queensland Racing hoped to move quickly to vaccinate horses in the areas surrounding Brisbane, including the Gold Coast, Ipswich and Toowoomba, once the first vaccines arrived later this week.
He said it was hoped racing could return to those areas before February.

"The real name of the game at the moment is to make sure we get the vaccine by the weekend and get it out to horse populations that don't have it (EI) yet," he said.

"That would enable us, on some scenarios, to have the horses back on the track perhaps before February 1.

"But one of the issues is once you vaccinate, then you've got to spell all the horses and then there's a period before they will be back in any condition to race.

"So as to the time we can expect to see racing outside metropolitan Queensland, that very much is a day-by-day scenario at the moment."

NEWS.COM.AU

[DIEHARD]

Albion Park WED trials cancelled.

The Thursday and Friday Albion Park dog meets will be subject to a decision by the DPI and the GRAQ tomorrow, it isn't looking good, but the fixtures may be transfered to Ipswich.

Albion Park is in lockdown due to the on course horses.

Gold Coast trials will be on tonight, they are unaffected.

[HodgoBerro]

i hope racing is not cancelled for the dogs on fri as motoring along has a start and dad needs the cash

[DIEHARD]

We have a dog in Albion Park thursday but also Friday and he had box 1.

After coming second by a head from box 7 last Friday.

It's unfortunate for the trainers, connections and punters, but small in the grand scheme of things.

[DIEHARD]

Just got an email with the latest...

ALBION PARK MEETINGS TRANSFERRED TO IPSWICH GRC

Owners and Trainers Please note:

The Albion Park Thursday night and Friday twilight race meetings this week have been transferred to Ipswich because of a lockdown at Albion Park.

The Department of Primary Industries very late today declared Albion Park had to be shut indefinitely. A meeting tomorrow between the DPI and officials of all three racing codes will determine a number of issues including a return to racing at Albion Park next week.

The GRA has informed trainers they may scratch without penalty from the Albion Park Thursday and Friday meetings that have been transferred to Ipswich.

The GRA will amend race distances for those two moved meetings tomorrow (Wed)."We are hoping the fields for these two meetings will stand up with minimal scratchings," said Stewards Chairman Danny Ryan.

Nominations for the planned Monday race meeting at Albion Park (Oct 1) will close as normal at 8.30am Wednesday. Ipswich and Gold Coast meetings for this week remain unchanged.

We appreciate the trainers support given the circumstances surrounding the decision to transfer these meetings to facilitate the continuance of greyhound racing on these nights.

D M Beavis
General Manager

25 September 2007

[HodgoBerro]

dad i think is scratching motoring along. he said its a non penalty event for people travelling long distances. also ginger legs is due to whelp a litter by surf lorian on fri and she may need to have a caesarian.

[DIEHARD]

The distance is a problem, but I think scratchings will be small because most trainers are based on the southside and at least Albion and Ipsiwch both have 520m distances. Friday may be another issue.

[DIEHARD]

Bligh gives $8m to racing

THE Queensland government has announced an emergency assistance package to deal with the horse flu crisis - which it has likened to a natural disaster.

Premier Anna Bligh today mobilised the state disaster management group to handle the equine influenza (EI) outbreak, which has now hit the racing industry.

Racing in Brisbane has been cancelled until February, after horse flu was detected at a stable near the Doomben and Eagle Farm racetracks on Monday and six cases were detected in the Brisbane suburb of Deagon yesterday.

Ms Bligh announced a package to help people directly employed in the racing industry.

A small business interest subsidy scheme will help those who have trouble meeting their financial commitments because of the crisis.

State cabinet will determine the criteria for the scheme when it meets on Monday but it is estimated it will give around $8 million in assistance.

The Australian Bankers Association will also offer short-term relief for those who can't meet mortgage and loan repayments.

Also announced was a "one-stop shop" to be located near Brisbane's racetracks for people to access information on relief. A mobile service will visit areas outside Brisbane.

Charities will administer emergency payments of up to $100 to people waiting for Centrelink payments to begin.

Ms Bligh said the funds were not capped as the package was designed to help people as the crisis unfolded.

http://www.news.com.au/

[DIEHARD]

Bligh's 'heartless' response

PREMIER Anna Bligh has been branded "cold and heartless" for her response to the horse flu crisis as a desperate racing industry demands cash to secure its future.

The industry was furious last night over a State Government assistance package that offered no financial commitment to industry workers.

The outbreak at Hendra on Tuesday has suspended racing and trackwork in the southeast indefinitely, but some training centres could be available for infected horses to have walking exercise tomorrow.

Flu vaccination vials will arrive in Brisbane tomorrow and Queensland Racing will begin treating clean horses on Saturday.

Queensland Racehorse Trainers Association president Neil Boyle said he was stunned by the lack of state support for the racing industry, which pours $60 million a year into Treasury coffers through wagering taxes and GST and payroll tax revenue.

"We have been good for them in making sure millions of dollars are flowing back but the Government is prepared to let us go down the gurgler," Mr Boyle said. "It doesn't make sense not to give us a helping hand now to ensure we can get back to normal as soon as possible."

Ms Bligh released a natural disaster assistance scheme yesterday but it did not include a commitment to supplement a $110 million Commonwealth scheme already deemed inadequate by the industry. Small businesses in financial hardship will be offered subsidised government loans while banks and insurers have been asked to provide relief to affected customers.

The state package also includes a "one-stop shop" at the racing hub of Hendra, where financial, social and employment advice will be provided. Others are already in place at Brookfield, Goondiwindi, Rosewood, Tamborine and Warwick.

But a $100-at-a-time emergency cash handout through Red Cross and Lifeline trumpeted as a "new measure" is already available any time through the Department of Communities.

Opposition Leader Jeff Seeney last night launched a scathing attack on the Premier, declaring her package "long on rhetoric and short on cash".

"The Premier is being cold and heartless," Mr Seeney said. "There is still no financial commitment. The $100 drip feed is a joke, reducing people in the industry to destitution before they get help."

Ms Bligh stressed the package was only a short-term solution for those directly involved in racing and flagged further measures when economic hardship stretched to fringe players.

"This an emergency, immediate payment for those people who were expecting to get paid on Saturday and now won't be," Ms Bligh said.

The outbreak at Hendra has proven, in a rather morbid sense, to be a boon for racing in Rockhampton. With the central Queensland city free to race on Saturday because it is not in an infected zone, it will become the state's major TAB meeting.

Jockey Mark Barnham has ridden in Rockhampton for a decade, without ever feeling the desire to prove himself in the big smoke. But this Saturday is different. The big smoke is coming to him.

"It is very good promotion for Rockhampton racing - you would never knock it back," he said.

http://www.news.com.au/

[nflin3]

It has started already.

I give her a year max.

[DIEHARD]

ALBION PARK BACK RACING

GREYHOUND racing will re-start at Albion Park on Monday night.

This follows urgent meetings between the GRA, the Brisbane Club, Department of Primary Industries and the Office of Racing.

The DPI concerns revolved around stabling behind the major semaphore board at the end of the straight
.
Further security measures will be installed in this area to restrict access.
The move of Thursday and Friday?s Albion Park meetings to Ipswich was a precautionary measure.

After discussions with the DPI, it has been resolved that the bio-security arrangements already in place will continue.

But for greyhound race meetings and trials extra precautions will be implemented.

Anyone handling dogs on track will be required to use a special hand wash when leaving the complex to return home. This will be made available near the kennel block.

Another foot bath will be located in the same area for greyhound handlers to dip their shoes in when leaving the track.

These precautions must be strictly adhered to.

There will be no restrictions on public attendance at the track.

GRAQ

[DIEHARD]

$1.2m NSW PRIZEMONEY CUT

GREYHOUND Racing NSW (GRNSW) today announced a $1.2 million

prizemoney reduction to start on October 1 as the direct financial losses suffered by the NSW industry due to the Equine Influenza crisis.

GRNSW Chief Executive Brent Hogan said the NSW industry had already withstood revenue losses in excess of $700,000 since EI hit.

?Greyhounds are the only racing code with the need to cut prizemoney as neither of the others have race meetings to fund. This

drastic action will affect every greyhound racing club in the state?.
There will be a 25% cut to prizemoney across the board and at present this will be effective from October 1 to January 31. The time and amount of the cuts could be amended at any stage depending on changes in the EI situation.
?The most recent financial analysis conducted suggests the impact on TAB distribution revenue received by the industry will mean losses of between $1.5 million and $2 million. However the situation is fluid and it is quiet possible the impact will extend above $2 million particularly given the latest developments at Warwick Farm and in Brisbane.

?We have dealt with the impact to date by relying on our cash reserves with the Board resolving to absorb the first $1 million worth of losses. Further losses above this simply cannot be absorbed and the Board has been left with no choice but to act now and implement prizemoney cuts from October 1?.

Hogan said GRNSW was extremely disappointed with the response of the NSW State Government to the greyhound industry?s plight.

GRNSW wrote to both Premier Morris Iemma and Treasurer Michael Costa on September 6 informing them of the situation and to date had not even received recognition of correspondence.

He has also written to and met with NSW Minister for Gaming and Racing Graham West and ?despite our pleas he has yet to agree to any financial assistance to the greyhound industry to avoid any prizemoney cuts?.

GRNSW

[DIEHARD]

Trainer deliberately spreads virus

A BRISBANE racehorse trainer's admission he intentionally spread equine influenza (EI) in his Hendra stable has been met with both anger and support from rival trainers.

Speaking on Brisbane Radio TAB today, trainer Robbie Heathcote confirmed a local newspaper report which said he visited another stable and wiped the noses of infected horses with a towel before returning to his stable to wipe his own horses.

Heathcote, who has 28 horses in his stable, said he infected his team following uncertainty over whether authorities planned to vaccinate horses in Brisbane's red zone where an outbreak of horse flu has shut down racing at Eagle Farm and Doomben until February.

Vaccination against EI is expected to commence tomorrow in the non-affected areas of the Gold Coast, Toowoomba, Ipswich and the Sunshine Coast.

?Hendra is in a dirty area and I was told we weren't going to be vaccinated,'' Heathcote said today.

?The reality is every horse will get it eventually but the horses still have to remain in quarantine for 30 days after the last horse gets it.''

Animal welfare groups and Queensland Racing Limited stewards were unlikely to take action against Heathcote, with some rival trainers supporting the deliberate spread of the disease while others were furious he had taken matters into his own hands.

RSPCA spokesman Michael Beatty said expert opinion was too divided on the horse flu issue for his body to take action.

?Expert opinion is divided right across the board about what is the right thing to do so we wouldn't be looking at taking an action as part of any welfare issue,'' Beatty said.

?Different experts have different opinions and at the moment we're following DPI (Department of Primary Industries) policy on how to treat this disease.''

Leading trainer Barry Baldwin, who is a neighbour of Heathcote, was noncommittal as was Liam Birchley while Lawrie Mayfield-Smith and Brian Wakefield expressed anger and disgust.

Heathcote's actions were supported by Kelly Schweida, who has witnessed the spread of the disease from one horse in his stable on Tuesday to 24 horses today.

Wakefield was scathing in his attack on Heathcote, claiming the law had been broken.

?They fined (apprentice) Ric McMahon $5,000 for disobeying a stewards' direction for breaking protocols and Rob, who is a friend of mine, has done this,'' Wakefield said.

?He's deliberately infected his horses when we've been instructed to try and keep the disease out of our stables.

?The direction from stewards and the DPI has been to keep non-essential people out of our stables and to follow biosecurity measures.

?There's still a chance we could all be inoculated next week and this doesn't make sense to me.

?Rob has now made the decision for all of us and I don't think he understands the full consequences of what he's done.

?A lot of people are already dirty on the racing industry and we're trying to get more money out of the governments so it doesn't send out a good message.''

Mayfield-Smith, who has 15 horses but only one suffering symptoms of EI, said he would never have infected his horses deliberately.

?As a horse lover I couldn't infect my team but what he (Heathcote) has done is probably right in a lot of ways for the industry,'' he said.
?I wouldn't do it. I love my horses too much to see them lean up against a wall and watch them get sick.

?I'd rather hold out and hope we can get them vaccinated. As a father I'd never deliberately give my child the flu.''

http://www.goldcoast.com.au