A group of internationally trained horses will be eligible to race on Caulfield Guineas day with Racing Victoria getting approval for them to finish quarantine a day early.
Nineteen horses travelling from Europe to Melbourne were delayed by almost a day when they were forced to spend almost 20 hours on the tarmac in Sharjah in their cargo plane while a cracked windscreen was repaired.
There were fears the horses housed at Werribee would need to remain in quarantine until Sunday, October 14, to serve the mandatory 14 days.
But Racing Victoria confirmed on Wednesday the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources had given approval for the horses in question to finish quarantine on October 13 as planned given they were effectively quarantined in Sharjah.
It means the 24 horses housed in two of the three barns at Werribee are eligible to compete at Caulfield on October 13.
The DAWR’s approval is subject to all the import conditions being met including negative equine influenza tests and satisfactory veterinary examinations.
“The Department were satisfied that the 19 horses affected by the damaged airplane windscreen whilst in transit to Melbourne on the weekend were maintained in conditions that managed the biosecurity risk during their lengthy delay in Sharjah and throughout their flight to Australia,” RV’s Paul Bloodworth said.
“… they will be permitted to compete in feature races on Caulfield Guineas Day, and we will be able to welcome our final shipment of European horses on the same day without having to temporarily utilise any other quarantine facilities.”
Two Japanese horses Chestnut Coat and Sole Impact as well as six Europeans – Count Octave, Duretto, Gustavus Vassa, Red Verdon, Sharaaoh and Withold – who are housed with in one of the three barns at Werribee will remain in quarantine until October 15 as planned as the two Japanese horses only arrived in Melbourne on Monday.
The races on Caulfield Guineas day include the Group One Caulfield Stakes, Group One Toorak Handicap and the Group Two Herbert Power Stakes.
List of horses scheduled to complete quarantine on October 13:
Benbatl (trainer Saeed bin Suroor)
Best Solution (Saeed bin Suroor)
Prize Money (Saeed bin Suroor)
Blair House (Charlie Appleby)
Comicas (Charlie Appleby)
Cross Counter (Charlie Appleby)
Emotionless (Charlie Appleby)
Folkswood (Charlie Appleby)
Hamada (Charlie Appleby)
Jungle Cat (Charlie Appleby)
Cliffs Of Moher (Aidan O’Brien)
Fleet Review (Aidan O’Brien)
Intelligence Cross (Aidan O’Brien)
Spirit of Valor (Aidan O’Brien)
Yucatan (Aidan O’Brien)
Prince Of Arran (Charlie Fellowes)
Dal Harraild (Ciaron Maher and David Eustace)
Pharrell (Ciaron Maher and David Eustace)
Casterton (Chris Waller)
Finche (Chris Waller)
Marathon Man (Mike Moroney)
Sound Check (Mike Moroney)
Danon Distance (Anthony Freedman)
Langley (Darren Weir)
