WANGARATTA Turf Club's meeting was abandoned and the track immediately closed down on Thursday after confirmation of a case of the highly contagious equine disease, strangles.
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Racing Victoria stewards acting on veterinary advice called the meeting off about 11.30am due to an isolated case of strangles in a horse trained at the track by Allan Fitzgerald.
The club was advised to shut the course and prevent any further horses entering or leaving with one visiting trainer, Cranbourne's Grant Dalziel, who had already arrived for the meeting, making a speedy exit.
Strangles affects a horse’s upper respiratory tract with young horses particularly vulnerable.
Mr Fitzgerald's stable has been placed in quarantine and restrictions have also been placed on the stables of three other Wangaratta trainers which have had horses in close contact with his stable.
These stables are not being permitted to travel horses to a race meeting for two weeks or until veterinary clearance is provided.
Two of these stables are not presently permitted to utilise Wangaratta training facilities
The club's swimming pool will be totally emptied on Friday and re-filled in a further precaution.
The abandoned meeting has been rescheduled to Wodonga on Tuesday and there are doubts another meeting at Wangaratta on Thursday will go ahead.
But the club has not been put off-limits to the general public with a function this weekend to go ahead as planned.
WTC chief executive Paul Hoysted said all precautions to prevent the spread of the disease had to be taken.
"Everyone is pretty anxious," he said.
"Our trainers have got big businesses to continue to run and that is the reason why we are putting in some very strict policies so the show can go on," he said.
"We expect to race next week as long as we are able to control this disease and it doesn't spread.
"But there is absolutely no risk to humans."
Chairman of stewards Peter Ryan said despite the risk of the disease spreading being low a "cautionary approach" was still taken.
“Our veterinary team will continue to consult with the local veterinarians and the Wangaratta club on the management of the affected stable and the impacts on training and racing at Wangaratta in the immediate future," he said.
"Communication will continue directly with the local stables, particularly around training.”
Training will resume at Wangaratta on Friday for stables not under restriction.
It is the latest setback for the club after its cup meeting had to be rescheduled due to an external power failure.
