November 29, 2007	Thursday	Ziqa’ad 18, 1428

LAHORE, Nov 28: Scores of horses at the Lahore Race Club (LRC) are suffering from equine influenza since Monday and the outbreak of the disease has forced the cancellation of races here.

Of almost 500 hundred horses present in the race club stables, only four-dozen were seen on the track on Wednesday morning. Those afflicted have temperatures ranging from 102 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit.

A majority of the horses are being kept separately for the fear of disease communication and the sick ones are being well looked after by the veterinarians who have put them on antibiotics.

Owner and breeder Munir Ahmad Dar told Dawn that his stable’s ace four-year-old colt, Tipu Sultan was also suffering from equine influenza.

The LRC secretary, Shahzad Akhtar told Dawn that the situation was well under control as measures to keep in check the further spreading of the disease had already been taken.

“We are trying our best and our racing schedule too has not been too disturbed. Prior to the spread of disease, we had been keeping in check the arriving horses in a 48-hours quarantine and would only let them into the club after being assured that they were healthy and fit in every respect,” he said.

Meanwhile a message from Andrew Harding, chief executive of the Australian Racing Board, to the Jockey Club of Pakistan informs that Australia too faced an outbreak of equine influenza in October.

The disease threw their racing calendar into disarray, so much so that their showpiece event - the Magic Million - which coincides with Australia Day, on Jan 26, has been postponed till late March.