Vic racing may resume Wednesday
Racing in Victoria is set to resume on Wednesday as equine influenza grips New South Wales.
The official number of known cases of horse in New South Wales who have contracted the disease has increased to 47, however this pales in comparison with what the actual amount could be.
The vet in charge of horses at Centennial Park, Dr. Tim Roberts, believes 161 of the 165 horses within the stables have the virus. Yesterday that figure was just 11, enough to cause of shutdown of the entire racing industry nationwide.
There are also fears that a riding club in Maitland, in the Hunter region, could have hundreds of infected horses. The facility at Maitland had been visited by horses from the Centennial Park stable recently. Several rural New South Wales areas also have reported cases.
Despite the rampant spreading of equine flu, Racing Victoria chairman Graeme Duff says Victoria is free of the disease, and once checks on interstate thoroughbreds are completed, an official decision will be made. Federal agricultural minister Peter McGauran had earlier indicated he believed racing anywhere in Australia within the next week was close to unattainable.
Duff has acknowledged the Spring Cup, including the Melbourne Cup, may have to be moved.
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