The Veterinary Commission of the Turf Authorities of India (TAI) has issued an urgent advisory to all race clubs following reports of respiratory infections of unknown origin detected among a few racehorses at the Hyderabad Race Club (HRC).
Dr CV Niranjan, Chief Veterinary Officer of the Mysore Race Club, in a letter written to all turf authorities on Monday, sought to enforce urgent, drastic measures.
Not only horses from HRC are prohibited from entering other race club premises until further notice, but also jockeys from other centers are advised against riding at Hyderabad, while jockeys from Hyderabad are asked to follow strict quarantine protocols before riding elsewhere. Hyderabad Trainers and their staff too are restricted from entering the premises of other race clubs, and are urged to follow strict precautionary protocols and biosecurity measures to prevent the spread of infection.
Even the saddling and related equipment from Hyderabad is banned elsewhere in an effort to arrest the infection spread.
Though the nature, and the extent of severity, of the unknown virus is not clearly established yet, the TAI is taking these extraordinary measures to preempt the kind of serious disruption horse racing faced in 2008-09 when outbreak of EIA (Equine Infections Anaemia), which began in Pune, wreaked havok, culminating in the postponement of racing`s most sacrosanct event–the 2009 Indian Derby at Mahalaxmi–by two months.
