Vaccine too late, says Rosehill trainer

Top Rosehill trainer Allan Denham has questioned why it took so long for equine influenza (EI) vaccines to be imported into Australia after three of his horses, including multiple Group One winner Eremein, returned positive tests to the virus overnight.

Another two racehorses from the stable of Denham's father Jack are also confirmed to be infected.

Rosehill's racehorse population was inoculated against EI eight days ago when the first batch of vaccine arrived in Australia from France but the horses were not expected to obtain full immunity until they received booster shots scheduled for next Friday.

Denham said the vaccine had arrived too late.

"The bird's flown. It should have been out six weeks ago," Denham told Sydney radio station 2KY.

"Being truthful we could have run three meetings by now and we haven't and now they start inoculating.

"(Veterinarian) Tim Roberts, when he was over in South Africa it took him six or seven days to get the stuff (vaccine) over there but it takes us six weeks to get it to Australia."

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