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Aussies Announce Inquiry

Australian Prime Minister John Howard has announced an independent inquiry in to the outbreak of Equine Influenza.

Ian Cullinan, a former High Court Judge, will head up the inquiry and will be given full power to find out if and where quarantine procedures were breached that enabled the disease to spread at a rapid rate.

'We are determined to find out what happened, how this disease was introduced, whether there's been a breach of quarantine procedures and protocols,' Prime Minister Howard told www.racenet.com.au.

Mr Howard also said that there was to be an announcement in the next few days regarding further relief for the industry, including possible wage subsidies.

Already 4 million has been made available to cover immediate expenses, equating to 1500 per person.

The money is to be split equally between New South Wales and Queensland and also equally between the racing and harness industries.

(C) PA Sport

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My Racing Story. Jane Carpenter

I'm from just outside Kells, Co Meath and I suppose racing has always been a passion of mine. I do love the sport, and it is brilliant to make a career out of it now. My family are huge racing fans and I suppose the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Racing is a highly discussed topic at home with my family as well as farming. The racing is never off the TV. We take an annual family holiday to Galway every year. We go down for the week, and I've been going since I was a child. It is a proper family tradition now. We have going to the same house for the races I'd say for 14 or 15 years now. There are so many bedrooms there and some of my friends from home come down towards the weekend. It is a proper good holiday, and it is always in our calendars every single year. We were in Punchestown recently after Fairyhouse, so we would be big supporters of going racing. My parents are farmers, so I wouldn't have a close association with horses. I grew up on the farm, and I've been surrounded by animals all of my life. I know at first hand the effort, work and dedication that goes into animals and caring for them. I would have helped dad out on the farm alongside my two brothers. We still try to give a hand when time allows. We've no horses here on the farm, but I'm extremely confident that we will one day! I used to do a bit of riding when I was younger at my local equestrian centre. Things just got in the way then, but last summer I took it back up as a hobby. I'm really enjoying that again.