Eight
June 13th 2008 06:59
It now appears that Australian racing was infected with a bad case of 'food poisoning' last year, with estimated cost being around the $1 billion mark. And with still the possibility of further legal action to follow.
We have been fortunate to avoid bird flu through quarantine and care. And mad cow disease has been predominantly a problem for the English. But last year our quarantine procedures proved inadequate, and the result a catastrophe for much of Australia’s horse racing industry. And all because of an infected Snitzel and Equine Influenza.
(photo: Arrowfield Stud)
Snitzel had been at stud in Japan and was returning to Arrowfield Stud for Australian stud duties. There is no absolute certainty that is was Snitzel who caused the outbreak and not one of the other three horses to land in Sydney with him, although suspicion falls on him because there was a similar strain of the disease in Japan. At no stage was Snitzel sick with EI, although that does not deny the possibility that he was a carrier of the disease.
A report handed down by retired High Court Judge Ian Callinan was damning in his condemnation of the quarantine service, particularly in relation to the Eastern Creek quarantine facility near Sydney. And the problem he judged to be endemic with years of inadequate biosecuriuty measures and complacency.
It has been found that one of the four horses arriving from Japan to Eastern Creek (via Melbourne) on August the 8th 2007, brought Equine Influenza into Australia (here is an interesting tangent: the Beijing Olympics will commence on the ‘lucky’ day of 08/08/08. Eight in China is believed to be a very fortuitous number. I got my driver’s license on the 8th of the 8th at 8. I knew that I would pass that day. Now back to Eastern Creek...here not so much luck with eight...). It is believed that the stallion Snitzel was the horse most likely to have been infected with EI. What followed was a wildfire outbreak which closed down New South Wales and Queensland racing over the important Spring months. And it has had longer term detrimental outcomes with residual ill effects for some horses and the loss of opportunity to prepare young horses for racing.
The horses to arrive in Sydney were Snitzel, Rock Of Gibraltar (Coolmore Stud); Grandera (Darley Australia) and Stravinsky (also owned by Coolmore). Black Hawk, who shared the plane from Japan with the others, remained in Melbourne and stands at Eliza Park Stud.
Snitzel is a Group One winning son of Redoute’s Choice. He was the first shuttle stallion from Australia to stand in Japan, standing at Shadai Stallion Station for the 2007 Northern Hemisphere breeding season. (that is such a positive promotional tool for this stallion - as long as we overlook the complication resulting from his return trip home). His first yearlings will be offered in 2009 - expect some clever names for his progeny with reminders of his new found notoriety.
He stands in 2008 for a fee of $33,000 (his sire Redoute’s Choice stands for ten times that fee).
We have been fortunate to avoid bird flu through quarantine and care. And mad cow disease has been predominantly a problem for the English. But last year our quarantine procedures proved inadequate, and the result a catastrophe for much of Australia’s horse racing industry. And all because of an infected Snitzel and Equine Influenza.
Snitzel
(photo: Arrowfield Stud)
Snitzel had been at stud in Japan and was returning to Arrowfield Stud for Australian stud duties. There is no absolute certainty that is was Snitzel who caused the outbreak and not one of the other three horses to land in Sydney with him, although suspicion falls on him because there was a similar strain of the disease in Japan. At no stage was Snitzel sick with EI, although that does not deny the possibility that he was a carrier of the disease.
A report handed down by retired High Court Judge Ian Callinan was damning in his condemnation of the quarantine service, particularly in relation to the Eastern Creek quarantine facility near Sydney. And the problem he judged to be endemic with years of inadequate biosecuriuty measures and complacency.
It has been found that one of the four horses arriving from Japan to Eastern Creek (via Melbourne) on August the 8th 2007, brought Equine Influenza into Australia (here is an interesting tangent: the Beijing Olympics will commence on the ‘lucky’ day of 08/08/08. Eight in China is believed to be a very fortuitous number. I got my driver’s license on the 8th of the 8th at 8. I knew that I would pass that day. Now back to Eastern Creek...here not so much luck with eight...). It is believed that the stallion Snitzel was the horse most likely to have been infected with EI. What followed was a wildfire outbreak which closed down New South Wales and Queensland racing over the important Spring months. And it has had longer term detrimental outcomes with residual ill effects for some horses and the loss of opportunity to prepare young horses for racing.
The horses to arrive in Sydney were Snitzel, Rock Of Gibraltar (Coolmore Stud); Grandera (Darley Australia) and Stravinsky (also owned by Coolmore). Black Hawk, who shared the plane from Japan with the others, remained in Melbourne and stands at Eliza Park Stud.
Snitzel is a Group One winning son of Redoute’s Choice. He was the first shuttle stallion from Australia to stand in Japan, standing at Shadai Stallion Station for the 2007 Northern Hemisphere breeding season. (that is such a positive promotional tool for this stallion - as long as we overlook the complication resulting from his return trip home). His first yearlings will be offered in 2009 - expect some clever names for his progeny with reminders of his new found notoriety.
He stands in 2008 for a fee of $33,000 (his sire Redoute’s Choice stands for ten times that fee).
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