That's It - No Spring Racing in Sydney

Sydney's popular spring horse racing season — as with the Melbourne spring racing carnival, an important lead-up to the Melbourne Cup — has been officially cancelled.

Royal Randwick racecourse is in lockdown as confirmations of an equine influenze outbreak at Randwick were announced in the past 48 hours. The Randwick stables house some 700 horses including a large number of Australia's top racehorses.

A continuing ban on the movement of horses is in force in New South Wales and Queensland.

The quarantining of horses in Sydney and the attendant ban on horse movements in New South Wales and Queensland are not expected to cause the cancellation of the Melbourne Cup in Victoria, where there have been no reports of a horse flu outbreak.

The sad part is that no overseas and Sydney horses may be able to take part in the Melbourne Cup. Already, last year's Melbourne Cup winner and runnerup — Delta Blues and Pop Rock — are known to be unable to come to Australia because of the horse flu outbreak and continuing bans on transporting horses.

Horse racing programs in Australia, excluding those in New South Wales and Queensland, are expected to resume this weekend.

Earlier stories:
Nothing's Going to Stop the Melbourne Cup
New South Wales Horse Races Suspended Indefinitely
Melbourne Cup in Doubt as Australian Racing Comes to a Halt

Photo: Racing at Royal Randwick, courtesy Easter in Sydney Festival