Racing monitors foot-and-mouth situation

Officials at the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) do not envisage the current outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the UK having any immediate impact on racing.

It was confirmed on Friday that cattle on a farm near the village of Wanborough in Surrey, England had tested positive for the disease that wreaked havoc on the farming industry back in 2001.

Horse racing was also badly affected during the last epidemic, with the Cheltenham Festival among the high-profile fixtures that had to be abandoned.

Presently, a UK nationwide ban on the movement of all sheep, cattle and pigs has been put in place.

The UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) said that a three-kilometre “protection zone” and a 10-kilometre “surveillance zone” had been imposed around the farm.

However, since the movement of horses is not included in the imposed restrictions and no racecourse is situated within the two zones, there are currently no plans to abandon any race meetings.

A statement issued by the BHA read: “The British Horseracing Authority is concerned to hear foot-and-mouth disease has been confirmed in Wanborough, Surrey, and hopes that the impact on the farming community can be kept to a minimum.

“Horses are not affected by the farm animal movement restrictions, which have been imposed nationally by DEFRA, and we envisage no immediate impact on racing as no racecourse lies within the exclusion or surveillance zone – all race meetings go ahead as planned.”

However, trainers within either zone imposed by DEFRA are being instructed not to move their horses until the matter has been assessed in greater detail.

The statement continued: “Licensed trainers within the 3km exclusion zone are prevented from moving their animals and therefore will not be able to have any runners under DEFRA’s movement restrictions.

“As a precaution, the British Horseracing Authority instructs any licensed trainer within 10km of the infected premises (inside the surveillance zone) not to move horses to the racecourse until a decision has been taken on any necessary bio-security measures.

“We are in discussions with the Turf Club and France Galop and will update trainers, through Weatherbys, as soon as we know the position on horses based in Britain running in France and Ireland.

“We are closely monitoring developments and keeping racing’s stakeholders updated.”