Australian quarantine to hit Irish stud owners

IRISH stud owners with valuable stallions now quarantined in Australia, where equine flu is spreading, will be hard hit financially if the lock-down continues.

Mon, 27 Aug, 2007 - 01:00

Ray Ryan, Agribusiness Correspondent

The outbreak that has brought Australia ‘s multi-billion euro horse racing industry to a standstill is starting to spread with many horses now displaying symptoms of the disease.

Fifteen of Ireland’s leading stallions are among 80 horses being held at two quarantine centres in Sydney and Melbourne.

They are in Australia for the highly lucrative breeding season which begins next Saturday.

Coolmore Stud in Fethard, Co Tipperary, said nine of its stallions are being held, including Rock of Gibraltar.

The company cancelled a stallion parade day in Australia yesterday in response to the threat of the highly contagious flu.

“In consultation with State authorities we believe this is a prudent course of action and is in the best interests of all concerned,” the stud said on its website.

Among the other Coolmore horses caught up in the 30-day quarantine measures are Encosta De Lago and Danehill Dancer.

It was reported yesterday that having a mare covered by Encosta De Lago costs around €132,000 and that he would be expected to cover some 200 brood mares in Australia during the coming months.

Danehill Dancer merits a reputed fee of €66,000 with Rock of Gibraltar also a significant revenue earner for bloodstock tycoon John Magnier and his Coolmore associates.

Kildangan Stud in Co Kildare said five horses which originated in its stud are being held in quarantine in Australia. Managing director Joe Osborne said the 30-day quarantine means that the first three weeks of the covering season will have been lost.

“It is an economic impact rather than a horse health impact,” he said, adding that, if the quarantine ends in 30 days, with the loss of three weeks in the season, “it would not be the end of the world”.

Meanwhile, the Irish National Stud said one privately-owned stallion that stands at the stud is currently under quarantine in Australia.