Officials Optimistic Over Staging Of Melbourne Cup

Racing authorities in Australia are confident the Melbourne Cup will not be affected by the outbreak of equine influenza, even though the suspected amount of infected horses has grown to over 100.

Racing and breeding operations in Australia were called to a 72--hour halt on Saturday as it was revealed that the outbreak had spread from quarantine to equestrian horses stabled near the Randwick racecourse in Sydney.

By Sunday, there were reports that the virus had spread to horses in regional New South Wales and also to Queensland.

The news that the virus had spread interstate prompted federal agriculture minister Peter McGauran to declare there would need to be a miraculous turn of events for racing to resume within five days.

'If we're racing next Saturday, then we should all breathe a sigh of relief,' McGauran said.

'If there's any racing in Australia before then, it will be a minor miracle.'

But Racing Victoria Limited, the body in charge of all racing in the southern state, said as long as there were no reports of infection in Victoria, then it will resume racing on Wednesday, with no disruption to the spring carnival or the scheduling of the Melbourne Cup.

'We are on target to reach a point on Wednesday that we'll be racing,' chairman Graeme Duff told reporters.

'If that happens, there will no impact on the Spring Carnival.'

RVL has been in touch with several overseas trainers, and it is confident that so long as the outbreak is contained, the European contingent will be as strong as ever.

But, it conceded it was highly unlikely that Japanese horses, including last year's Melbourne Cup winner Delta Blues or runner-up Pop Rock, would be permitted to enter the country.

(C) PA Sport