Strangles Positive Has Newmarket on Alert

A case of strangles was confirmed at Newmarket in the barn of trainer Marco Botti. Tthe horse, recently returned from the Dubai World Cup Carnival, has been moved into isolation and two stablemates who shared a flight from Dubai are being monitored at Botti’s yard at the Warren Hills training grounds. This is the first strangles outbreak in Newmarket since 2009. 

“All three horses came back on the same flight,” Botti told Racing Post. “We took one straight to a pre-training yard after he tested positive for strangles, and he has since been moved to an isolation yard out of town. We didn’t want to take any chances with him and are monitoring the other two at our second yard, the White Stable. Their first tests have both proved negative and we are taking precautions by only exercising them in the afternoons as it’s not fair on the other trainers if they go out normally. At the moment our main yard at Prestige Place is not affected and we are able to run horses and operate as normal.” 

Mark Tompkins, chairman of the Newmarket Trainers Federation, stated, “I’ve only just heard about it and hopefully the vets have caught it in time as it’s a horrible disease which is so easily spread. Trainers should be very aware about this outbreak of a disease which can shut racing down. It’s all very well having all this international racing, but with no quarantine for some places, this is what can happen. I would hope all the horses in Marco’s yard are being tested.”