THE headline writers have been enjoying a field day since midweek. The outbreak of equine influenza in Britain has been moved as a news story from the trade papers and racing pages to the front pages and the news headlines. Why?

Yes, the possibility of such outbreaks exists all the time, and outbreaks, while rare enough, are certainly and regrettably not uncommon. However, they normally do not make it beyond a public service style of announcement in the pages of the trade papers.