YOU wouldn’t quite say that the dust has settled on the equine flu outbreak - vaccination protocols remain a subject of considerable unrest - but on the surface at least things have calmed down a good deal since this time last week which offers a chance to reflect on some aspects of what took place.

Firstly, one couldn’t help but feel that the authorities in Britain could have done a better job in explaining what equine flu is. For those with just a passing interest or indeed no interest at all in the sport, the immediate shutdown of racing last week seemed to herald the outbreak of a plague with the potential to decimate the equine population.

DAMAGING

This was in no way the case, but the message that equine flu is just that – a flu the very same that affects a great many humans at certain times of year – seemed to get lost. This is not a notifiable disease, it is not virulent and it is nowhere near as damaging as the likes of strangles or equine herpes.

The situation could have been communicated better and put across in simple terms which would resonate with a wide audience. In other words the situation wasn’t quite as grave as the reaction to it seemed to suggest and racing can ill afford a perception that could in any way damage confidence in the product that it offers, which is exactly what last week’s events had the potential to do.

Secondly, the decision last Thursday to place a ban on British-trained horses running in Ireland was an interesting one. The sentiments behind such a ban which were to prevent the spread of disease were entirely justifiable but this could have been handled differently.

At this time of year the number of British-trained runners in Ireland is close to none and given the numbers involved it would perhaps have been better to handle this on a case by case basis rather than issue a blanket ban. Imagine if roles were reversed and a similar ban was applied to Irish horses competing in Britain.

Lastly, It was curious and ironic in equal measure that the ban on British-trained horses competing in Ireland was lifted on Monday quite a number of hours before an official decision had been taken to resume racing in Britain.

FINDING THE WINNER OF THE GRAND NATIONAL

THE unveiling of the weights for the Randox Health Grand National earlier this week wasn’t quite as contentious event as it has been in recent years although as ever the handicap for the great race contained a few interesting alterations to official ratings with the unfortunate Auvergnat somehow 9lb higher than he is in Ireland.

The top-weight, Bristol De Mai, has had his rating compressed by 5lbs while last year’s fourth Anibale Fly finds himself 3lbs lower than he would if he contested a handicap in Ireland.

Last Sunday’s Punchestown winner Dounikos creeps into the race off a rating that is 2lbs lower than his revised mark but stablemate Alpha Des Obeaux has endured contrasting fortunes and he would race off a 3lb-higher mark than he would at home.

Switching to the more pressing matter as to who will win the Grand National, one horse that caught the eye towards the lower end of the weights was Up For Review. If the top-weight stayed in the race, the Willie Mullins inmate would have just 10st 2lb to carry and, at number 56 in the list of weights, he is certain to get a run.

Lastly and most importantly, there is Up For Review’s form. After returning from a near two-year absence last spring, he made up into a capable novice chaser by notching up two victories and running quite a creditable 16-length fourth to Al Boum Photo in a Grade 1 at Fairyhouse last Easter.

On his return to action at Gowran Park last month, Up For Review caught the eye when finishing a very creditable third to stablemate Invitational Only in the Thyestes Chase. He can surely improve off that run and after just six runs over fences he is definitely open to further progress. An initial offering of 33/1 about this son of Presenting becoming his trainer’s second National winner looks tempting.

Native River deserves plenty of credit

IT was unfortunate to hear at the start of the week that Sizing John will miss the rest of the season. When he won the Gold Cup as a seven-year-old, he had the world at his feet and he ended that season by completing a unique hat-trick of victories in the Irish, Cheltenham and Punchestown Gold Cups.

Sadly Sizing John has only run three times since his famous Cheltenham win. He was victorious on two occasions and looked better than ever on his comeback in the Durkan Chase last season. However, his below par showing at Leopardstown several weeks after the Durkan was the last time we have seen him in competitive action.

The year before Sizing John won the Gold Cup. centre stage went to Don Cossack who never ran again after Cheltenham and was retired the following spring due to a tendon injury. In 2015 the novice Coneygree produced a stunning effort to win the Gold Cup and he remains in training but in the four years since he has been restricted to just seven outings and he has yet to make it back to the festival.

All this puts Native River’s longevity into perspective. He mightn’t have the same profile as other Gold Cup winners but provided all goes well today and over the next few weeks he will become the first Gold Cup winner in four years to defend his crown the following year.

He will be making his third appearance in the race and his fifth consecutive Cheltenham Festival appearance – quite an achievement if you consider the pitfalls that have awaited other luminaries of this division.