WANGARATTA racecourse is in lockdown following the detection of the highly contagious strangles disease in a horse stabled on the course.

Today’s eight race program, which was to start at 1pm, was abandoned after the disease was detected in the horse about 11am.

Horses from the barn where the strangles was detected had worked this morning on the track and used the swimming pool.

The horse with the strangles had not used the facilities today, but there is an incubation period where strangles is undetectable in horses.

Strangles is a contagious upper respiratory tract infection of horses which can be spread through mucus which has been discharged on racing equipment and facilities.

It cannot be passed onto humans.

Cranbourne’s Grant Dalziel was the only trainer to arrive at the course, about half an hour before the opening race where he had first starter Lysterfield Lass entered.

He unloaded the horse, along with another two starters which were to race later in the program, before stewards told him to put them back into the float and take them home. He was told to disinfect his float.
RV’s veterinary department will inform Wangaratta trainers today on how to handle the outbreak and when the track and facilities will reopen. Picture: Getty Images

Dalziel said he would take the three horses — all with the same owner — back to the owner’s property where they would be isolated for a few days and observed before being brought back into work.

“They have been inoculated and we have the veterinary documentation, so it’s nothing serious for us,” Dalziel said.

“They should have had someone on the gate as soon as they found out — it was 11.30am when we got there, only half an hour before the time you have to be there. We were there for five minutes before we were told to put the horses back onto their float.”

Dalziel said he was bewildered that a television crew could film his float leaving the course, yet no-one had locked the gate to stop him entering the course.

Racing officials had contacted trainers to inform that the meeting would not go ahead and turned trucks and floats away from the gates before they were locked.

Steward Peter Ryan, who was to chair the meeting, said a case of strangles was reported to Racing Victoria’s veterinary department.

The horse diagnosed with strangles is in a barn near the main gate and adjacent to the carpark.

RV’s veterinary department will inform Wangaratta trainers today on how to handle the outbreak and when the track and facilities will reopen.