EI rules hitch for Karasi

LEGENDARY jumper Karasi and Grand National Steeplechase winner Clearview Bay have been confirmed as Australia's horse in the Nakayama Grand Jump in Japan.But Karasi's bid for a fourth successive triumph faces some hurdles before he gets to the Grand Jump on April 19.

Racing Victoria Ltd veterinarian Dr Paul O'Callaghan said quarantine protocols still needed to be resolved.
O'Callaghan said the key issue was an Australian requirement that any horses returning from Japan had to have been in an area that had been equine influenza-free for two months.
He said the concern was identifying such a quarantine area.
Another issue is that of planes to Japan stopping over in Hong Kong.
"Part of our return conditions is that the premises where they do quarantine before they come back has to be EI-free for two months," O'Callaghan said.
"At the moment, we're having trouble finding out where that will be.
"But I'm confident we can get something sorted out in the next couple of weeks."
Karasi and Clearview Bay are expected to leave for Japan in mid-March, with the traditional lead-up to the Grand Jump, the Pegasus Jump, to be run on March 29.