Interstate Horses On Track For ID08

Harness Racing Victoria (HRV) is confident that horses from New South Wales and Queensland will be able to take part in the 2008 Watpac Inter Dominion after meeting with the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) on Friday afternoon.

The meeting saw Victoria’s chief veterinary officer, Dr Hugh Millar, update HRV on the status of horse movement policies throughout Australia in the wake of the Equine Influenza outbreaks in New South Wales and Queensland.

Dr Millar said chief veterinary officers from all states would be meeting during the week where it is hoped that a proposed horse movement policy allowing movement of horses between states under strict protocols will be agreed to and finalised.

From there HRV will be better placed to finalise the stringent quarantine rules that need to be put in place for horses from the infected states.

Plans are to establish quarantine stations at Harold Park in Sydney, Rocklea in Queensland and Geelong in Victoria.

The expectation is horses will spend up to 14 days quarantine in their home state and a further 14 days in Victoria.

HRV is hoping to have horses out of quarantine by mid-January allowing them to have critical lead-up runs prior to the 2008 Watpac Inter Dominion Carnival, which commences with the qualifying heats at Geelong on Saturday, February 16.

In order to satisfy that horses would have to go into quarantine in their home state by December 18.

HRV acting chief executive Shane Gloury was happy with the outcome of the meeting.

“Overall the discussions were very positive and while there are certainly no guarantees, we remain optimistic that we will be able to get these elite horses from New South Wales and Queensland down here for ID08,” Gloury said.

“We hope to be in a position to be able to provide a better indication of the quarantine requirements after the chief veterinary officers meet next week.”

Following the qualifying heats, ID08 continues with the semi-finals at Moonee Valley on Saturday, February 23. The $750,000 pacing Grand Final and $250,000 trotting Grand Final will be decided at Moonee Valley on Saturday, March 1.

24 November 2007