British trainer's horses put on hold over disease

Peter Winkworth expressed confusion after being the only trainer caught up in restrictions caused by the current foot-and-mouth disease outbreak.

According to the British Horseracing Authority, Winkworth is temporarily unable to saddle any runners after cattle on a farm near Wanborough in Surrey tested positive for the disease.

Winkworth’s Chiddingfold yard appears to fall into the recently-extended 10-kilometre “surveillance zone” established by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

The dual-licence handler is currently the sole racing casualty of the temporary regulations and is prohibited from running Sandy Par at Chepstow on Tuesday.

Winkworth said: “I’ve requested a meeting at the Jockey Club with the BHA and we will see them tomorrow.

“It’s a confused picture. I don’t want to do anything that upsets anybody but I have sought legal advice and I do have a business to run.”

A meeting was held this morning between the BHA, the Racecourse Association, Weatherbys and the Animal Health Trust to discuss the current outbreak.

A statement from the BHA read: “Following this meeting, conversations with DEFRA and having taken into account the views of veterinary experts and scientists about minimising movement within the locality of affected animals, the authority has determined that maintaining its current precautionary measures is appropriate.

“Licensed trainers within the DEFRA-defined protected or surveillance zones are therefore temporarily unable to have runners.

“There is currently just one trainer affected by this measure.

“This position is being reviewed continuously in liaison with DEFRA.”

Foot-and-mouth disease wreaked havoc on the British farming industry in 2001 and also badly affected horseracing, with the Cheltenham Festival among the high-profile fixtures abandoned.