NZ officials are keen to speak to an Australian horse trainer who has admitted trying to spread horseflu in Queensland.
Brisbane-based trainer Robert Heathcote arrived in Auckland on Friday and officials are concerned because of an interview he did with Australian media outlining steps he had taken to spread the virus to horses in his stable.
Thoroughbred Racing officials have not been able to speak to Heathcote and Chief Steward Cameron George says he was not at the Ellerslie Races in Auckland on Saturday. George says the industry wants to be sure Heathcote is here for the right reasons.
He says this is a worrying time for New Zealand racing, and they need to make sure anyone who has been in contact with the virus follows the protocols.
Heathcote, who trains horses in the Brisbane Suburb of Hendra, says he deliberately introduced the virus into his stables to get the outbreak over and done with. He has told NZ media he can't understand why MAF and racing officials are so worried about him being here.
He says the sooner the industry in Australia gets through the outbreak the better and that is why he spread it to all the animals in his own stables. Heathcote says otherwise the virus could take weeks to spread and would drag out the return to a normal racing schedule.
Heathcote says he is visiting his family in New Zealand and has no plans to meet with any breeders or trainers. He says he is freely contactable if any officials want to have a chat with him.
Vaccine in Victoria
The equine influenza vaccine has finally arrived in Victoria.
The vaccine bolsters hopes that Melbourne's spring carnival can be saved from the disease that has crippled racing in NSW and Queensland, Fairfax newspapers say.
The horse flu has the potential to damage the industry across Australia.
Veterinarians will start injecting racehorses in training tomorrow and horses at major racing centres on Tuesday.
There are 1500 doses of Proteqflu vaccine in the first batch.
The vaccine arrived on Friday and was conveyed to Racing Victoria veterinary services director John McCaffrey on Saturday. More batches are expected this week.
According to Tabcorp, betting turnover in Victoria was down by $52 million since the flu virus was detected. In NSW, betting turnover was down by $110 million.
Thoroughbred Racing Owners' Association chief executive, Colette Smedile, said: "We need a whole of industry strategy, but historically it's problematic."
Trainer David Hayes said the industry must unite.
"A stronger united front for the whole of Australia is the way to go and has to have more force than separate state voices which sometimes conflict," he said.
