Rumours were flying all over the place on Thursday and it makes good sense for racing to be halted until we all have time to see where we are.

Yes, big meetings will be lost on Saturday when Newbury and Warwick were due to stage prestigious races, which would have acted as trials for the Cheltenham Festival.

But Cheltenham might not even take place if this outbreak of an extremely contagious virus is not contained.

An outbreak of Equine Influenza saw all race meetings cancelled until at least next Wednesday

It is better to be safe than sorry and the British Horseracing Authority have done the right thing by closing the sport down. 

I reckon it will be hard to find anyone who thinks they should have let it continue.

A little bit of breathing space was needed because every stable which had runners at Ayr or Ludlow on Wednesday and contains a horse which came into contact with one of the runners from the infected Donald McCain stable has to be tested. That’s more than 100 stables and as many as 1,000 horses.

Peter Scudamore, eight-time champion jockey, insists it is the right call to suspend all racing

The yard of my partner Lucinda Russell, who had runners at Ayr, will be tested on Friday. That’s around 80 horses that have to be swabbed and the samples sent for analysis at a laboratory. It is not something that should be done in a rush.

Our horses are split between two yards about 15 minutes drive apart but we are observing strict bio-security protocols. We have split the staff so there is no crossover and even Lucinda and I are making sure we only set foot in one of the stables.

It is a minor inconvenience but if the sport can gain peace of mind by halfway through next week it will be worth it.

There will be a cost of the shutdown to the betting industry, racecourses, jockeys, owners and trainers. But the cost of not acting and losing control of the situation would have been far greater.

Checking over 1,000 horses with swabs is not something that can be done in a hurry by vets

Our scout is a top football expert who attends matches each week searching for the next star. He’ll bring you his verdict in Sportsmail. 

This week he is taking a look at Forest Green midfielder Reece Brown.

He started his career at Birmingham and then went on loan to Notts County and Chesterfield

WHAT HAS HE GOT?

I followed up a promising early-season scouting report on this 22-year-old, an attacking midfield player playing behind the front pair at Forest Green. 

I noted he has had a chequered career, starting at Birmingham and then going on loan at Notts County and Chesterfield. 

Not tall or physical, he’s a player with a decent touch who nevertheless seemed reluctant — maybe under instruction — to play a longer, more expansive pass. 

Forest Green look well coached by Mark Cooper. Brown holds down a regular position and is obviously responding to a sympathetic manager. I can see why some scouts have been attracted to his awareness and his quick feet. 

His stamina also holds well for a player with a slight frame and he will have taken some satisfaction from a winning team performance. Forest Green are going well and he is an integral part of that.

Reece Brown holds down a regular position and is obviously responding to his manager

WHAT DOES HE NEED?

Brown had opportunities to get on the ball and find space to receive and make decent angles. However, I was disappointed with his use of the ball. In one break there was a three-v-two situation where he made the right selection but his pass was poorly paced. 

His honesty and work rate could not be faulted but playing in this position and receiving this amount of possession I did not see the subtlety of pass or indeed a decisive pass to give his front runner a sight of goal. 

What I do find interesting — and this is not a criticism specific of Brown — is that from this No 10 position players are often reluctant to make runs ahead of the front men. This was certainly absent from his game. Playing in this role, you must create or score goals. I’d advise him to look for shots at every opportunity as goals on a c.v. look good.

I had hoped to see a bit more on the day. Maybe regular games and exposure to the hurly burly of league football will help him.

As Gonzalo Higuain and Frenkie de Jong completed their big-money moves in the January transfer window, you’d be forgiven for not noticing Espanyol’s signing of Wu Lei.

In a move that flew under the radar last month, the Chinese Super League star completed his £1.8million switch to not that much media fanfare but it is now starting to become clear just the impact he could make for the Catalan club.

On Sunday afternoon, the 27-year-old came on to make his debut in the 2-2 draw with Villarreal. However, his 12-minute cameo was astonishingly watched by over 40 million people – just 6.5 million short of Spain‘s entire population.

Espanyol signed Chinese Super League star Wu Lei for £1.8million in the January window

The 27-year-old completed his switch from Shanghai SIPG following an impressive season

The decision to bring him in by Espanyol’s Chinese billionaire owner, Chen Yansheng, appears to have been a masterstroke.

Last season, the forward became one of the biggest stars in the Chinese Super League after he netted 27 goals in 29 games for Shanghai SIPG. 

It seems unlikely that Wu Lei will have the same impact in a much more demanding league but his sheer presence is just what Yansheng will have wanted.

His 12-minute debut against Villarreal on Sunday was watched by more than 40 million people

Following his short debut, the Spanish club confirmed that the game will have had a spectacular reach of 350 million people in China alone and their social media channels have grown by more than 20,500 followers, while in China, the increase exceeds over half a million.

Just as impressively, his unveiling alone attracted 2.5m fans as it was live streamed shortly before midnight on Tuesday.

Along with this, Espanyol announced that over 2,000 shirts with the striker’s name on had been sold within 48 hours of his arrival. 

The China international poses with Espanyol mascots as he is presented to the club’s fans

Fans held up banners in support as he was presented to Espanyol fans on January 29

It is becoming clear the sheer impact Wu Lei can make for Espanyol and other La Liga club owners who have looked to crack the Chinese market in recent times.

Wu Lei’s arrival presents a big opportunity for the Spanish clubs to make inroads into Asia as he continues to be heavily supported by his compatriots back home. 

And if the forward manages to get more game time as well as goals in La Liga to cement his own legacy, the possibilities could be endless for Yansheng.

At the age of 45, South Korean viral sensation Ho-Sung Choi made his PGA Tour debut at Pebble Beach, finishing with a creditable 72. 

Choi has become an internet hit for his utterly bizarre swing and entertaining showmanship on course.   

After being handed a special invitation to compete at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, American crowds witnessed the famous swing that would look more at home in Happy Gilmore than professional competition.

Ho-Sung Choi exhibited his bizarre and unique swing at his first PGA Tour event 

Choi played with Chris O’Donnell (second from right), Jerry Kelly and Aaron Rodgers (left)

He made a solid start with three pars but then hit a skid with four bogeys over the following seven holes. 

Choi then gathered some momentum, sinking putts for birdies on 11, 15 and 16, ending up with a one over par 72.  

The likable South Korean stumbled upon his instantly recognisable style when hitting out of some rough back in 2013, later deciding to adopt it on a full time basis. 

His technique before impact looks sound enough but then the left foot does a pirouette whilst his right knee swings dramatically across. 

The club is then held upwards in a striking, flamboyant flourish. 

But Choi argues that the strange idiosyncrasy allows him to hit the ball 13 yards further than a more rudimentary swing. 

‘With the advancement in technology and with how far people these players are hitting it, I needed to find my own unique way to get that extra distance,’ he previously said. 

Reaching the PGA tour at the age of 45 is no mean feat but the achievement warrants another level of appreciation when you consider that Choi almost lost his right thumb in a chainsaw accident. 

He was 23, working in the fishing industry at the time and fortunately surgeons were able to re-attach the digit, though it is still shorter than his left thumb.

After two years out of action he managed to get a job at a golf course, helping with maintenance and offering cold towels to patrons on sweltering days. 

Then the club then encouraged it’s employees to take up the game in order to better serve their visitors. Remarkably, two years later, at the age of 29, Choi turned professional. 

Choi’s instantly recognisable swing has seen him become a viral sensation online 

This image clearly shows the nine separate stages of Choi’s remarkable swing

He is currently ranked 194th in the world and won Japan’s Casio World Open last November. His triumph was the fourth tournament win of his pro career on the Japanese and South Korean circuits. 

Choi’s rise has been nothing short of miraculous but it is the swing that really grabbed headlines. 

A video of the ‘corkscrew’ went viral and his legend continues to grow, with Tiger Woods joking: ‘My back hurts just watching it.’

Even Choi’s bag has been branded with his own superbly conceived logo, a figure twirling the driver in his perfectly distinctive manner. 

The South Korean’s instantly recognisable follow-through is his bag logo 

Choi’s debut tournament on tour is also his first trip to the USA and everybody wants a piece of him. 

Even Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers sought to play in the same group at the Pro-Am, a request granted by Pebble Beach officials. 

Rodgers played with Jerry Kelly and Choi teamed up with the actor Chris O’Donnell. 

Not everybody has been overjoyed by Choi’s special invitation. Rory McIllroy said: ‘He’s obviously a pretty good player. Whether that means he should be taking a spot away from a PGA Tour player at a PGA Tour event, I’m not so sure.’ 

But Choi cannot be faulted for accepting his invite and will no doubt be keen to entertain the crowds and vindicate his inclusion over the coming days.  

The South Korean is a showman and even spins around when putting on the greens

Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck has drafted in Steve Parish and Ed Woodward to help him find a new Premier League chief executive after becoming frustrated by the recruitment process.

Animal Planet’s global head Susanna Dinnage and BBC Studios boss Tim Davie have already turned down the role.

And Buck, who is head of the nominations panel, provided Premier League shareholders with an update on the search on Thursday.

Manchester United’s Ed Woodward has been drafted in to help find a new Premier League chief

Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish (pictured with girlfriend Susanna Reid) is also helping

He told them he was frustrated but not embarrassed by the delay in appointing a successor to Richard Scudamore, who quit at the end of last year.

Manchester United executive vice-chairman Woodward is a former accountant and investment banker, while Palace chairman Parish’s background is in computer graphics and advertising.

Recruitment consultants Spencer Stuart are drawing up a new shortlist.

Vivianne Miedema struck twice as Arsenal beat Manchester United 2-1 on Thursday to reach the Women’s League Cup final where they will face Manchester City.

The Dutch forward scored in each half before a late Mollie Green goal cut the deficit for the visitors.

Miedema showed her eye for goal and clinical finishing ability with her strikes making it 12 goals in 11 matches during the competition.   

Vivianne Miedema (top) scored both goals for Arsenal in their victory on Thursday night

The Gunners advanced to the League Cup final at the expense of Manchester United 

Casey Stoney’s United side put up a strong fight but faded in the latter stages of the game.  

Arsenal will now face City, who beat Women’s Super League champions and FA Cup holders Chelsea 2-0 on Wednesday. 

City are aiming to lift the League Cup trophy for a third time after triumphs in 2014 and 2016. 

The final is on February 23 at Brammal Lane in a repeat of last season’s showpiece.

Arsenal won 1-0 last season and have a phenomenal record in the competition. Joe Montemurro’s side have reached seven of the last eight League Cup finals, coming home with the trophy on five occasions. 

Alex Greenwood and Millie Turner put up a fight but United fell short away from home

Miedema has been on superb form and scored 12 goals in 11 matches in the competiton

The body found in the plane wreckage in the English Channel is that of Cardiff City striker Emiliano Sala, police have confirmed. 

On Wednesday, it emerged an unidentified body – now known to be Sala – was brought off ship, Geo Ocean III, on a stretcher and transferred to a private ambulance before being taken to Dorset Police and the local coroner.

The plane was flying from Nantes, France, home of Sala’s former team, to Cardiff on January 21, when it crashed into the sea with the new £15million signing and pilot David Ibbotson inside.

The body in the plane wreckage in the English Channel has been identified as Emiliano Sala

This is the first picture of the wreckage of Sala’s plane as a private search was undertaken

The body, found on Wednesday, was taken to Dorset and carried away on a stretcher to police

A statement from Dorset Police, released on Thursday night, read: ‘The body brought to Portland Port today, Thursday 7 February 2019, has been formally identified by HM Coroner for Dorset as that of professional footballer Emiliano Sala.

‘The families of Mr Sala and the pilot David Ibbotson have been updated with this news and will continue to be supported by specially-trained family liaison officers. Our thoughts remain with them at this difficult time.

‘HM Coroner will continue to investigate the circumstances of this death supported by Dorset Police.

‘On Monday 21 January 2019 a plane carrying both men was flying from Nantes to Cardiff when it lost contact with Air Traffic Control, north of Guernsey.

‘Sadly a search and rescue operation was unsuccessful in locating the plane and the two occupants. 

‘Subsequently AAIB and privately funded search teams were deployed to the relevant area. Using specialist equipment the teams succeeded in locating and identifying the plane and recovering Mr Sala’s body.’

The body was recovered from the aircraft wreckage using ROVs (remotely-operated vehicles) to pull it from the water in ‘as dignified a way as possible’.

The red and white vessel carrying the body docked at Portland, Dorset, at around 9:15 on Thursday morning.

The boat was met at the harbour by two police cars, including a 4×4, with a silver coroner’s van arriving at the scene at around 9:45am.

Several of the ship’s crew could be seen leaving the 25ft vessel to introduce themselves to authorities before showing police and the coroner on board.

The Piper Malibu aircraft remained more than 200 feet below water and is 21 miles off the coast of Guernsey in the English Channel for more than two weeks as poor weather conditions stopped efforts to recover it. 

More to follow.