Champion jumps trainer Nicky Henderson described racing as being in ‘serious crisis’ on Thursday night after the BHA decided to halt all action until next Wednesday at the earliest after an outbreak of Equine Influenza at the stable of Donald McCain.

Three unnamed horses trained by McCain have tested positive to EI amid fears that the Cheltenham Festival, which is only 32 days away, could be in danger if the situation gets out of hand.

In all, 21 meetings will be lost if the sport restarts on Wednesday – a six-day shut-down – but the financial damage of the break is chicken feed compared to the potential loss of the Cheltenham Festival if the EI outbreak is not contained.

The outbreak of Equine Influenza has been described by trainers as a ‘serious crisis’ for racing

That would cost the racing, betting and hospitality industries around £200m while a betting industry source said losing this weekend’s meetings would potentially cost the gambling industry £20m.

In attempt to limit the potential spread of the highly contagious disease, the BHA cancelled all four meetings on Thursday before informing all stables which had had runners at Ayr and Ludlow on Wednesday and potentially come into contact with McCain runners that they could not move horses from their stables.

The decision put over 100 stables into lock-down including the top stables of Philip Hobbs, Paul Nicholls, Dan Skelton, Colin Tizzard and Nigel Twiston-Davies.

While the BHA initially hoped it might be able to restart racing if testing the entire McCain stable confirmed that the infection was limited to the three horses that tested positive, the logistic reality of having to test around 1,000 horses spread around the country meant a longer shut-down was needed.

All race meetings across Britain on Thursday were called off in a bid to prevent flu spreading

The decision means that Saturday’s prestigious meeting at Newbury, where Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Native River was supposed to clash with King George VI Chase winner Clan Des Obeaux in the Denman Chase, has been called off.

Henderson, who had been due to run Supreme Novices’ Hurdle favourite Angels Breath at Huntingdon on Thursday, said: ‘The news was a bolt from the blue at 6am this morning. I woke up looking forward to running Angels Breath at Huntingdon and within two seconds was hit with the news and all of a sudden we are in a maelstrom.

‘It’s a crisis, a serious crisis. The ramifications are horrendous. We were at Ludlow yesterday and won the last race. I hope it is not the last race for a long time.

‘We cannot have a runner. Tomorrow morning I have six vets in the yard who will start at 6am and have to take nasal swabs from 150 horses.

‘I can live with the build up to Cheltenham (being disrupted) if they say we can’t race. It is not ideal but we are all in the same boat.

THE VIRUS THAT HAS BROUGHT RACING TO A HALT 

WHAT IS EQUINE INFLUENZA?

It is a highly contagious virus which can affect horses, donkeys and mules of any age, sex or breed.

The virus attacks the airways, prevents drainage of fluid from the lungs and can even lead to pneumonia.

Symptoms include a snotty nose, high temperature, muscle soreness and lack of appetite.

HOW SERIOUS IS IT?

The severity of the disease depends on the strain of the virus. It can be dangerous and occasionally fatal to horses that have not been vaccinated, young foals, mares in foal and horses that are already ill with other diseases.

Healthy adult horses are not normally at risk of death. Humans are also not at risk, but can transmit the virus.

HOW DOES IT SPREAD?

The virus is easily transmitted by nose-to-nose contact between horses, indirectly by airborne particles or through contaminated clothing and equipment.

The virus can be transmitted after nose-to-noise contact between horses during a race

HOW ARE SICK HORSES TREATED?

Infected horses should be isolated. There are no anti-viral drugs but anti-inflammatories can lower temperature and reduce muscle soreness.

In severe cases, intravenous fluids may be necessary and antibiotics can be administered if a secondary infection sets in.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO RECOVER?

The illness lasts from two to 10 days but it takes up to two months for the respiratory tract to completely repair. Horses should be given a week to recover for every day they were sick.

HOW ARE HORSES PROTECTED?

Thoroughbred racehorses must be vaccinated.

They are given a primary course of three injections followed by an annual booster. Some trainers give boosters more regularly. Vaccinations for a racehorse are recorded in its passport. 

Failure to keep this up-to-date would result in disciplinary action against the trainer from the British Horseracing Authority and a fine.

HAS THERE BEEN AN OUTBREAK BEFORE?

The disease broke out in Australia in 2007 and took six months to be officially eradicated and for horse-related activities to resume.

The BHA confirmed that the situation in the UK is not the same because Australian thoroughbreds, unlike those in Britain, are not vaccinated against flu.

There is a hope the outbreak will not prove as disruptive as previous cases in history

‘The main thing is to knock this on the head as quickly as possible. It might be a sledgehammer to crack a nut but I cannot disagree with what they are doing. I am hopeful everything will be OK.’

The decision to extend the suspension of racing action came after the BHA decided the results of horses tested in the McCain stable would not alone be reassuring enough to resume action.

Even the resumption on Wednesday will not be confirmed until Monday after further discussions with trainers and risk assessments are carried following the results of the EI tests.

On a dramatic day for the sport, questions were raised about the outbreak in the House of Commons and comparisons were drawn with the Foot and Mouth outbreak in 2001 which saw over 60 meetings and the Cheltenham Festival abandoned.

Racing continued in Ireland as five runners at Ayr from the Gordon Elliott stable were halted and placed in an isolation yard before they made it back to his County Meath base.

The influenza outbreak emerged after checks on three horses in a stable of Donald McCain

Seven Flat stables in Newmarket, including that of Godolphin trainer Charlie Appleby, were also included in the shut-down because they had runners at Wolverhampton on Monday when McCain also had a runner.

However, fears stoked by references to the 2007 EI outbreak in Australia which disrupted racing in New South Wales for eight months were played down because at the time Australia did not vaccinate against the disease.

McCain, who like all trainers in Britain must vaccinate against EI, said in a statement released by the National Trainers Federation: ‘I have been aware of the recent news about Equine Influenza outbreaks in France and Ireland, and over the last couple of days, I have been concerned about the health status of a small number of horses in the yard.

‘Their welfare is at the front of our minds, so at my request, our veterinary surgeon has examined them regularly and we have followed his advice on testing and treatment.

‘It was by following this protocol that the positive results for equine flu came to light yesterday evening. The BHA were contacted immediately and we are liaising closely with them about biosecurity and management of all the horses at Bankhouse.

‘Bankhouse follows all the available advice on disease control and all our horses are fully inoculated. We are scrupulous about observing the health status of horses in our care and taking the necessary steps to treat any condition that may affect them.

‘It follows we would never race any horses that we could have known were infected. When new horses arrive at our yard we, as much as possible, try to keep them separate but at this stage cannot know if the infection came from recent arrivals or from horses returning from racing. 

‘We have three confirmed cases and this morning have taken blood and swabs from all the others for testing.’

There are fears that this outbreak could cause as much disruption as foot-and-mouth in 2001

Explaining their decision to halt the sport, the BHA praised McCain for acting ‘professionally’.

Racing’s ruling body added: ‘The BHA’s veterinary team has today been in contact with more than 50 trainers and veterinarians to allow it to make an informed assessment of the risk of Equine Influenza spreading.

‘Whilst no further positive tests have been received, at least three more days are required before it will be possible to make a decision about whether it is safe to resume racing.

‘The disease can take up to three days before symptoms are visible, meaning it will take until Sunday at the earliest before the BHA can gather all the information required.

‘This approach will allow samples to be collected and assessed by the Animal Health Trust in order that a fully informed decision can be made on Monday.

‘This precautionary approach is intended to ensure we put the health of the horse population and control of the virus first, and avoid any unnecessary risk that might come from returning to racing too quickly.

‘We appreciate the impact that this may have on the sport commercially, but disease control in order to mitigate the risk of further disruption to the sport – and safeguard the health and welfare of our horses – must be a priority.

‘A plan will be constructed for the rescheduling of key races – and those which may provide important opportunities for horses to run – which are lost during this period.’

2018 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Native River was set to race Clan Des Obeaux on Saturday

Saturday’s fixture at Newbury would have attracted a crowd of around 7,000 people and the Berkshire course had been buoyed by strong ticket sales.

A spokesperson for Newbury said: ‘We are obviously really disappointed about it but at the same time when it is horse welfare that absolutely comes first and we take absolute guidance from the BHA. 

‘Racing is a sport that is used to abandoning, and we put in place the proper contingencies in terms of insurance.

‘Ticket holders will receive full refunds in the next 14 days. It is such an unusual set of circumstances, but abandoning is something we are used to with adverse weather.’