Camile, a winner at Ayr yesterday, is swabbed by an equine vet amid fears that an outbreak of horse flu could cause significant problems for racing John GrossickThere will be no horse racing in Britain for a week as the industry struggles to contain a rare outbreak of equine flu. Positive tests for the virus on three horses from the Cheshire stables of Grand National-winning trainer Donald McCain were revealed late last night. Having swiftly cancelled today’s four meetings, the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has now extended the shutdown until Wednesday January 13 at the earliest. The racing industry will be hoping that such stringent action pays off, with the big spring festivals at Cheltenham and Aintree due to be staged in the next two months. Racing’s ruling body released a statement that read: “The BHA’s veterinary team has today been in contact with more than 50 trainers and veterinarians to allow…

Source: The Times February 07, 2019 00:25 UTC