Racing Victoria (RV) stewards have confirmed a case of Strangles in the John Symons and Sheila Laxon-trained Forest Place, an unraced three-year-old based at the Macedon Lodge training property.
On Wednesday, 24 September, the facility was officially declared an “infected place” under Australian Rule of Racing 89(4), requiring all horses to remain on site until further notice.
The development follows reports from the Symons and Laxon stable on Friday, 19 September, when several horses presented with elevated temperatures. At that time, RV stewards instructed the stable, along with licensed trainer Liam Howley and pre-trainer Nelson Smyth — who also have horses at Macedon Lodge — that no horses were to leave the property pending test results.
Initial samples taken on 19 September returned inconclusive findings, but further analysis has since confirmed the presence of Strangles. Additional testing is scheduled for next week to determine whether further cases exist within the property. Those results will dictate when horse movement to and from Macedon Lodge may resume.
Until then, horses remain confined to the property under veterinary supervision, with movement strictly prohibited without stewards’ approval.
Strangles is a highly contagious bacterial infection that spreads through both direct and indirect contact, including contaminated feed, water, bedding, equipment, clothing, and transport vehicles. The disease typically causes upper respiratory tract illness but can affect the lungs. While rarely fatal, its rapid transmissibility makes it a significant concern for stables and the wider racing industry.
