Well, we don't have anything like that at the Football club I go to, but they have Keno, so some of the racing punters were probably having a go at that. The regulars that were still in the TAB area looked lost with quite a few blank stares from people up at the screens. And one bloke who obviously hadn't caught up with the news, was looking rather frustrated as he had brought along a copy of the Sportsman, and now had no use for it. ;)

To those punters seek professional counseling....that's just sick.

sportz,

i truly believe sydney horse-racing could be off for 5 months, i dont thinks its innaccurate.....

if one horse in any stable catches it shes all over red rover for a very long time.

Racing here in Vic. this Sat if no signs of flu here before then. Well here's hoping the Powers that be aren't letting money overcome common sense and their rushing it. I thought another week of wait and see how things pan out might have been a bit more sensible.

Here's the revised program...
 

The revised racing program as provided by the ARB:

Saturday September 1st: Caulfield, Benalla, Moonee Valley (N), Morphettville, Belmont, Hobart, Darwin
and Alice Springs
Sunday September 2nd: Cranbourne, Hamilton, Geelong, Kalgoorlie and Launceston
Monday September 3rd: Bendigo, Swan Hill, Victoria Park
Tuesday September 4th: Geelong, Kyneton, WA Meeting (Venue to be confirmed)
Wednesday September 5th: Seymour, Warracknabeal, Belmont and Balaklava (Cup)
Thursday September 6th: Ballarat, Mount Gambier, Northam
Friday September 7th: Sandown and Moe

but then i miss out on going to the races on my trip to melbourne

if things go ahead ill get to go to caulfield and mooney valley in the same day
i think its great :P

I'm glad things are working out for you HORSE WHISPERER. Should get great weather too and lets hope no flu for the meeting.

Her in the kitchen is off down there for a shop on Sat. [racing or no racing] so I need a few big winners!

I think there will be a delay from this week , only in queensland and n.s.w, and if there is no new cases the following week,everything should be back to normal, if it is found that the virus did not come from eastern creek, then it could be more wide spread and it could cause wide spread problems through-out australia

Im all in favour of Vic racing this weekend AS LONG as their borders are shut. Vic horses only, so no Hayes horses racing (among others). It'll be sad if Hayes receives 'special dispensation' to race...we still have to be very careful here.

For that matter, why is it Beadman can cross the border to ride? I've read EI can be passed on by horse to human, to human, to horse. I tend to recall last year that a certain high profile jock was allowed to ride an overseas horse in trackwork, while supposedly in qarantine....

these are the type of breaches in protocol that have led to our current situation.

......... also not overly keen on interstate riders coming in to the state either... ala Beadman and co.

why not make him have a good wash down and buy some new clothes? im sure he wouldnt mind.

I'd have to go along with a few of the thoughts I've read elsewhere on this.

One being the suggestion that the source of this flu isn't 'found'. We couldn't go setting up one of our major studs for litigation for bringing the virus into the country from Japan [just had a big flu outbreak before ours] that had a few of our top studs horses there recently, now could we?
I suppose the powers that be are trying to find some little pony club to pin the blame on. Nothing specific, [like proof] just plenty of innuendo will do and of course the virus just crawled out of the ground :-))

Perhaps its time the Racehorse breeding industry caught up to the Harness Racing breeding industry who have embraced modern breeding methods [artificial insemination is hardly new science], so all this risky traveling by mares and Stallions to breed, is put to an end?

VIC: Programming Shock: Back to One Meeting Each Day
 

Apparently Victoria will now just have one horse racing meeting a day from this Saturday through to Wednesday. Instead of having both Caulfield and Moonee Valley racing on Saturday, they're gonna just have Caulfield, and maybe have up to 12 races! This must make it tough for the trainers, owners and jockeys to get organized if they're gonna keep messing with the programme.

Here's the link:
VIC: Programming Shock: Back to One Meeting Each Day

Yes this from the RSB website. ************!!

Latest News: 29/08/07

Please note: all the below meetings have been abandoned.
1st Sep - Benalla
1st Sep - Moonee Valley (night)
2nd Sep - Hamilton
2nd Sep - Geelong Thoroughtrack
3rd Sep - Swan Hill
4th Sep - Geelong Thoroughtrack

After quite a bit of googling on the subject, it seems the major reason for the International Racehorse breeding stud book's rejection of AI [artificial insemination] is mainly the one of loss of spectacular and 'protected' [economic rationalism doesn't get a look in here] profits world wide, as the science of AI is well and truly already refined, there really isn't any other justification for rejecting it's use, except protected profit [and ************ the risks of infections etc].

Considering that one Stallion using AI can inseminate thousands of mares, what would happen to the cost? It would plummet to a fraction. Take the example of Redoute’s Choice. His advertised service fee is $330,000. Official Stud Book records show last season he served 224 mares and on the basis that excluding free returns, 200 of those mares will fall pregnant and have the service fee paid, he would generate $66 million in revenue for Arrowfield Stud where he stands. Add on ajistment fees for broodmares and other costs etc. and we are talking obscene profits.

On the up-side, the introduction of AI would see the cost of decent racehorses plummet, meaning that even the average Joe would be able to afford a potential champion. Not such a bad thing and perhaps even a good thing for the racing industry?

That's a common sense decision I think.

10 - 12 races on saturday at caulfield should make for an interesting and long afternoon.