Features
premium
Getting over the flu: the verdict on racing's shutdown and how it was handled
With the action back on, Lee Mottershead gauges opinion on the enforced break
A veterinary surgeon watches the runners for the opening race at Plumpton, one of the four British venues that got racing under starter's orders again on WednesdayCredit: Edward Whitaker
The patient was suddenly forced to bed but is now back moving, working and well on the road to recovery.
Yet while British racing has resumed following its six-day shutdown, what costs were incurred by the sport's dose of flu, what are the legacies and how well was the crisis handled?
It was at 11.23pm on the night of Wednesday, February 6, that the BHA announced racing the following day was cancelled due to three horses trained by Donald McCain testing positive for equine influenza.
Read the full story
Read award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing, with exclusive news, interviews, columns, investigations, stable tours and subscriber-only emails.
Subscribe to unlock
- Racing Post digital newspaper (worth over £100 per month)
- Award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing
- Expert tips from the likes of Tom Segal and Paul Kealy
- Replays and results analysis from all UK and Irish racecourses
- Form study tools including the Pro Card and Horse Tracker
- Extensive archive of statistics covering horses, trainers, jockeys, owners, pedigree and sales data
Already a subscriber?Log in
Published on inFeatures
Last updated
Copy
more inFeatures
- Captain Marvel: how a modern master of Cheltenham and a genuine pioneer executed one of the shocks of the year
- 'We’re delighted with how it's going' - joint-trainers prepare for exciting year after Flat string is doubled
- 'We’ve had to work hard this sales season' - Kennet Valley seeking to build on success with biggest string
- Alastair Down's archives: the great writer recalls Coneygree's glorious victory in the 2015 Cheltenham Gold Cup
- Kauto Star: the extraordinary talent who became the benchmark for sheer undiluted quality
more inFeatures
- Captain Marvel: how a modern master of Cheltenham and a genuine pioneer executed one of the shocks of the year
- 'We’re delighted with how it's going' - joint-trainers prepare for exciting year after Flat string is doubled
- 'We’ve had to work hard this sales season' - Kennet Valley seeking to build on success with biggest string
- Alastair Down's archives: the great writer recalls Coneygree's glorious victory in the 2015 Cheltenham Gold Cup
- Kauto Star: the extraordinary talent who became the benchmark for sheer undiluted quality