The British Horseracing Authority have taken the decision to cancel all racing on Thursday following a breakout of equine flu.
The decision was made late Wednesday after the Animal Health Trust returned three positive results from vaccinated horses in one particular yard.
It was also confirmed by the BHA that the infected horses raced at Ayr and Ludlow on Wednesday, suggesting that there was ’cause for significant concern’.
Quoted by Sporting Life, the BHA statement went on to say:
The action to cancel racing has been viewed as necessary in order to restrict, as far as possible, the risk of further spread of the disease.
The BHA has worked quickly to identify which yards could have potentially been exposed today and identify the further actions required.
The news will no doubt create uneasy memories of the 2001 foot and mouth crisis amongst racing fans, which led to the abandonment of the Cheltenham Festival.
