Victoria stance speaks volumes
Quite ironic that Racing Victoria is threatening to go it alone and run their Spring Carnival no matter what results from this equine flu epidemic, even if it means the rest of the world is locked out.
Ironic, because this same organization has for years showed little regard for its own, in its ambitious, almost obsessive, push for world recognition.
While the rest of the nation wallows in this modern plague, cautiously talking about losing weeks, not days, and setting up police operations to stop horses crossing borders, Victoria is getting back to business. The nationwide ban ends on Tuesday afternoon, so the garden state is back on Wednesday morning, and not a minute behind schedule.
David Hayes has hinted at pushing the carnival back, if the shutdowns continue, as expected. A view supported by the Federal minister for agriculture.
From a sporting perspective, if there are more delays, it would surely be the only answer.
Not very convenient, though. Imagine the stress for milliners and dressmakers, timing their run to the first week of November to perfection. Think of the people who run the marquees. It’s late August, so they would have just finalised their lists, carefully plotting A-List availabilities. Push the Cup back a month and all that hard work could be ruined. We can’t have Bruce Samazan in the Emirates marquee, now can we?
This epidemic has only been with us for a few days and not a single thoroughbred has got the sniffles. Unlikely as it seems, perhaps there will be a miracle and the world will be normal by next week. Yet by already defying the world, Racing Victoria had made it clear that the peripheries associated with racing are more important than racing itself.
The reality is punters won’t care. They’re pulling out a form guide and plonking their money on something, anything. An even money weight for age champion pays the same as an even money maiden winner at Benalla.
That the Melbourne Cup can be run by donkeys and not affect the carnival is a statement in itself.
A sad reflection.
Subscribe to The Serve by Email
Couldn’t agree more with that comment. It certainly seems like the organisers of the Spring carnival are hell bent on staging the event no matter the EI circumstances in other states. I saw Mr Duff (Racing Victoria Chairman I think) on tv tonight congratulating all his staff on the job they have done, he seems to think this is all over. All we need is one woodduck to float an infected pleasure horse into the state by accident and they are in all sorts of strife. You don’t wish that on anyone but it would make them pull their heads in.