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El Segundo's Cox Plate makes it all worth while for Phillip and Catherine Brown

Phillip Brown has had to put up with equine influenza and a very badly injured two-year-old this spring – along with a lack of fillies over time – from the Miss Spy family his father bought into in the 1970s. El Segundo (NZ) storming to victory in Saturday's Gr.1 Tattersalls Cox Plate at Moonee Valley. Photo Martin King But when the family members include Saturday's Cox Plate winner El Segundo, the effort to keep it going is clearly worth it. Brown, who runs Ancro...

All Australian thoroughbred horses to be vaccinated 26 Oct 2007

All Australian thoroughbred horses to be vaccinated The Australian Racing Board advised on Friday that it has given in-principle approval to the adoption of new Australian Rules of Racing making it mandatory for all horses involved in racing and breeding to be vaccinated as a condition of participation in the industry. In terms of a rationale the Australian thoroughbred sector (racing and breeding) believes that implementing a permanent national vaccination policy is an essential and non-neg...

Vandalo makes it a day to remember for Jim Campin

Jim Campin didn't really need any more evidence to show how worthwhile his purchase of several Gleam Machine mares from a stud dispersal in the late 1980s was, but he got it on Saturday anyway. On a day when New Zealand-bred Master O'Reilly ran away with the Caulfield Cup, Campin's product Vandalo made it a day to remember for New Zealand-breds when he won the Winning Edge Presentation Cup (Listed-1400m) The three-year-old became the first southern hemisphere stakeswinner for Trelawney Stud ...

NSW EI workforce dedicated to stamping out disease

The NSW Government has assembled a workforce of more than 1000 people to tackle the current Equine Influenza (EI) outbreak, Minister for Primary Industries, Ian Macdonald, said on Tuesday. "The minute Horse Flu was confirmed in NSW the Iemma Government launched a proactive, unprecedented response," Minister Macdonald said. "It is now 60 days since it was confirmed that horse flu had breached the Federal Government's Eastern Creek quarantine facility and our control and eradication campaign i...

NSW first round of vaccinations reaches half-way point 18 October 2007

NSW Minister for Primary Industries The NSW Government equine influenza vaccination program is surging ahead with the first round of vaccinations reaching the half-way point, NSW Primary Industries Minister Ian Macdonald said on Thursday. Minister Macdonald said 5,292 horses had been vaccinated at no cost to horse owners by yesterday afternoon. "A total of 15 vaccination teams are working today to keep the momentum going," Minister Macdonald said. "And 13 centres have been established in...

David & Pat Jones fly the South Island flag

Canterbury breeders David and Pat Jones had a slightly sour taste in their mouths as they watched Master O'Reilly provide one of their greatest highlights on Saturday. Master O'Reilly, bred by the Joneses and partner Ross Brown from their mare Without Remorse, qualified for the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups with a solid victory in the Herbert Power Handicap (G2-2400m) at Caulfield. But in a story many breeders will be familiar with, they watched the win in the knowledge they had no mares from...

Equine Influenza (EI) update from Australia

THE Australian thoroughbred industry and government departments have officially sanctioned and approved the vaccination of the entire thoroughbred population. The National Management Group met on Monday and a national strategy to vaccinate all horses in Australia was approved. Australian Racing Board chief executive Andrew Harding said the risk of the spread of EI needed to be minimised and the best insurance policy the industry had was to vaccinate. "We've tried to contain and eradicate t...

EI protocols for buyers to New Zealand

In response to the outbreak of Equine Influenza in parts of Australia, New Zealand Bloodstock would like to advise all prospective buyers to New Zealand for the forthcoming NZB Ready to Run Sale (20 & 21 November) of the restrictions currently in place. Visitors to New Zealand Persons travelling to New Zealand from overseas (particularly Australia) are requested to observe the following protocols: Ensure you declare to Customs & Agriculture Officials on arrival that you have travell...

EI lockdown relaxed in Tasmania

Tasmania's horse lockdown has been relaxed after tests for equine influenza (EI) returned negative results. Department of Primary Industries and Water biosecurity manager Alex Schaap said tests sent to mainland laboratories had all returned negative results on Sunday. He said there had not been a significant increase in new cases of respiratory disease symptoms overnight. "Departmental veterinary staff and local vets have attended the horses of concern to us this morning," Mr Schaap said i...

Irish National Stud Diploma gives perfect grounding for career with horses - Applications for NZTBA Scholarship close next week

Pear Tree Farm's Anna Miles is one a select group of NZTBA youngsters to have benefited immensely from the annual National Stud Diploma Course Scholarship. A recipient of a scholarship to the Irish National Stud Diploma Course in 2001, Anna won the Gold Medal for the top student. She is now running a successful agistment and foaling unit near Waimate. Originally from North Canterbury, Anna had horses and racing in-grained into her from a young age. Her grandfather, Ken Coleman, was a well-kn...

No longer parked at Parkes - EI lockdown gates open

The last horse has left the Parkes Showground 51 days after the equine influenza (EI) lock down was put in place, the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI), said on Sunday. The Parkes Showground was placed in quarantine after animals at Centennial Park, Sydney, were confirmed infected with equine influenza (EI) on August 24. "Twenty six horses and their owners left the Parkes Showground at daybreak this morning," NSW DPI deputy chief veterinary officer, Steve Dunn, said today. "It's b...

Dezigna's dam winner of the Auckland Branch 2007 Broodmare of the Year title

Emma Evans wasn't just being optimistic when she named Dezigna's granddam May Be Great. Evans also had her aunt May Wilson in mind when it came to putting a name to May Be Great, a Crested Wave mare she inherited from her aunt shortly after she died in 1985. But it's turned out there was a fair bit of prescience in naming her. Dezigna, who added to his record in Saturday's listed GR Kelt Memorial (Listed-1400m) is the best representative to date, but the family has had numerous winners. No...

All NSW horses to be vaccinated

At a meeting on Monday Racing NSW CEO Peter V'Landys and Australian Racing Board chief executive Andrew Harding addressed Primary Industries ministers from each state and territory, the federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Peter McGauran, and the director-generals of all state and federal Primary Industries departments on the need for a national mass vaccination strategy. The outcome of the meeting was that it was decided to allow vaccination of thoroughbreds to resume in ...

EI virus escapes into NSW green zone

Two horses have been confirmed positive for equine influenza on a property at Barmedman in the previously disease-free green zone. NSW deputy Chief Veterinary Officer Steve Dunn said staff were investigating the exact cause of the isolated outbreak, and any possibility of disease spread. "This property is located between West Wyalong and Temora, and about 40 km from the boundary of the amber zone," Mr Dunn said. "The horse owners in this case took early action by reporting their sick anima...

Main Rosehill stables 'well infected' with mild EI

Rosehill trainer Chris Waller reported to his clients on Monday morning that his main stable 'is now well infected with equine influenza (EI).' However, Waller also said that impact of the virus is less than those horses infected at Randwick and Warwick Farm. "The symptoms appears slightly different to the Randwick and Warwick Farm horses which is leading me to believe that the vaccinations our horses received nine days ago could be lessening the effect of the virus," said Waller. "On Satu...

Rios scores for the Ormonds

Arthur Ormond figured a good family full of filly foals had a better chance than most of succeeding when he and some partners bought Gussy Godiva as a yearling in 2000. Their judgment is looking to be very sound after Gussy Godiva's first foal Rios comfortably won the Bonecrusher Stakes (Listed-1400m) at Ellerslie on Saturday. Gussy Godiva is a daughter of Sam Kelt's mare Sneetch, the third-highest rated filly in New Zealand in 1994-95 after winning the Ladies Mile (G3-1600m) and running third...

EI vaccination programme in full swing

The equine influenza (EI) vaccination programmes of the eastern states of Australia are in full swing in NSW and Queensland, and about to commence in Victoria after frustrating delays in clearing the vaccine for use on Friday. In NSW Racing NSW stewards and a team of vets immediately commenced vaccination late on Friday, after the EI Proteqflu vaccine from France that arrived on Thursday night, was released. Around 2500 horses have been vaccinated at Sydney's Rosehill stables, and racing st...

Hawke's Bay breeders Murray and Jo Andersen are having some fun!

"Racing is about having fun". That seems to be the mantra of Hawke's Bay breeders Murray and Jo Andersen and the members of the Transtasman Syndicate that race It's A Dundeel (High Chaparral [IRE] – Stareel), the recent winner of the ATC Gloaming Stakes (Gr 3) at Randwick. And the members of the syndicate who were present in Sydney when he won that event, his fourth from four starts, certainly had quite a bit of fun. "He is a pretty exciting horse. We were delighted with his performance, and...

No racing in Brisbane until February 2008

Queensland Racing Ltd The Chairman of Queensland Racing Limited (QRL) on Tuesday took the drastic step of suspending racing in the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (DPI&F) red zone of South East Queensland following the confirmed equine influenza (EI) outbreak in the Eagle Farm and Doomben precinct and six unconfirmed cases in the Deagon precinct. Subject to no further EI outbreaks in the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and Toowoomba precincts and that vaccination takes place in...

Doomben and Eagle Farm locked down after EI positives

Queensland Racing Limited (QRL) on Monday received advice from the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (DPI&F) that initial samples taken from horses trained at Doomben and stabled at Hendra have returned positive to equine influenza (EI). Confirmative tests are underway and confirmation or otherwise is expected today. QRL Chief Operations Manager, Malcolm Tuttle said, "If indeed our worst fears are realised this will be a considerable setback for thoroughbred racing in Queens...

Main EI virus carriers have been people

As has been suspected by industry officials the movement of people within the horse industry had become a key factor in the spread of equine influenza (EI), a leading NSW government veterinary officer said on Monday. "The horse stand still has worked very, very well," NSW Department of Primary Industries chief vet Bruce Christie said. "[With] this concern about people movement, bio-security, making sure people change their clothes, washing their hair … it's become more and more obvious tha...

150,000 vials of EI vaccination to be imported

150,000 vials of equine influenza vaccine are now going to be imported from France to systematically vaccinate the thoroughbred and sport horse populations of NSW, Queensland and Victoria. Racing NSW chief executive Peter V'Landys said that he considered that there will 'enough vaccine to go around' between the individual states and their respective demands. Initially 1000 vials of vaccine will be used on horses likely to race in the 2007 Victorian Spring Racing Carnival before vaccination i...

EQUINE INFLUENZA VACCINATION - THE ONGOING DEBATE

The use and timing of vaccination in an Equine Influenza (EI) outbreak is always going to be a contentious issue. There are strong arguments both for and against vaccination and our decisions around vaccine use need to be constantly under review. With today's news that Australia is to import vaccine for use in "buffer zones" around EI hotspots we can expect another round of discussion and opinion on the merits of vaccination. Vaccines are developed to trigger immunity against a specific infect...

First Group Winner for Ustinov

Top Australian filly Antarctic Miss gave New Zealand's horse community a further reminder how fortunate they were that Jeff McVean chose this country as the place he wanted to live. The former Australian Olympic equestrian rider has made his mark in many ways since his arrival in 1989. His management of New Zealand equestrian teams and the performances of his daughter Katie in that sport have been notable by themselves, and along the way he's trained a New Zealand Derby winner, Leica Guv. Bu...

Purple zone operating Friday and industry plans for sales and racing dates 20 Sep 2007

With the opening of the Hunter Valley purple zone on Friday for horse movement within the zone to allow the 2007 breeding season to begin in earnest the industry is now addressing flow on affects from the equine influenza (EI) crisis into 2008. Racing officials and thoroughbred sales companies are meeting on Friday to try and decide on appropriate dates for the 2008 yearling sales schedule, and the major race meetings for autumn. With crucial Hunter Valley yearlings unable to be sales preppe...