RACEHORSE trainers and sales consignors have been urged to step up their vigilance following fresh cases of equine flu in the thoroughbred population this week.

The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board has written to trainers, advising them to take particular care when dealing with new arrivals into their yards, and to pay increased attention to vaccination schedules.

Tattersalls Ireland has also been in touch with vendors sending horses to next week’s Derby Sale.

These warnings follow a report from the British Horseracing Authority this week that a horse purchased at Goffs last week tested positive following its arrival at a yard in Shropshire. The Irish Equine Centre has also confirmed a case in a horse that attended the sale.

Equine influenza is a highly contagious respiratory disease. Infected horses usually make a full recovery but it can take weeks or months before they are back to health. The earliest clinical signs of infection include a rapid rise in body temperature, depression, clear nasal discharge, harsh dry cough and lack of appetite.

Thoroughbreds must be vaccinated for equine flu before they can race or be sold at public auction.

Goffs CEO Henry Beeby stressed that all protocols were adhered to before and during the Arkle Sale.

Referring to an article published on a popular racing website this week, Beeby said: “It’s not correct to say horses are offered without vaccinations at Goffs, or that we make announcements from the rostrum about it.

“We have an online portal where vendors must lodge passports and other documents in advance of coming to the sale. We check those details, especially the vaccinations, and if they are not in order then horses cannot enter Kildare Paddocks.

“If horses turn up without the correct paperwork they are not allowed in the back gate. They are put into isolation until we can establish their vaccination status. Horses must have a minimum of two primary vaccinations. The bottom line is that we operate to the same standards as the racecourse and unvaccinated horses are not allowed in.

“The other point to make is that horses are not only vetted at home before a sale, they are vetted before they are sold too. Our vets would notice if a horse was unwell.”

In relation to the Goffs-sold horse who tested positive in Britain this week, Beeby said: “If a horse is being exported it is my understanding that they are inspected by a Department of Agriculture vet before they are shipped.

“I have read carefully the statement issued by the BHA this week in relation to the horse sold at Goffs who has tested positive for equine flu, and I have spoken to the BHA’s veterinary officer James Given. My understanding is that the horse first showed symptoms 24 hours after arriving, so I would take issue with any suggestion that the horse was positive for equine flu when at Goffs.

“From a Goffs standpoint I have had all the facts confirmed. Our biosecurity standards are very high and we are very vigilant in every respect. There is nothing more we could or should have done during the Arkle Sale. The BHA have told me they have no criticism of our protocols.”

Tattersalls Ireland has already stepped up measures ahead of the Derby Sale which starts on Wednesday.

Simon Kerins, CEO of Tattersalls Ireland, said: “We have good, strong biosecurity protocols in place and we are ramping them up. The health of the horse population at large is our primary concern. As of last Thursday we have extra vets on-site, inspecting horses and checking paperwork.

“We have communicated to vendors the importance of checking for any signs of equine flu symptoms in their horses and urged them to withdraw any horses they have the slightest doubt about. Don’t travel with that horse, let them get over it and enter them for the August Sale.

“It is easy to have your horse tested for equine flu and the results are available quickly. “