Quarantine lifted on all Ryan's barns after equine herpes case

A day on from his first winner since being allowed to have runners again – after an outbreak of equine herpes in his yard – there was more good news for Kevin Ryan when the quarantine that was still in place on two of his six barns was lifted on Friday.

Ryan's business was rocked by a temporary quarantine order placed on the yard by the BHA and he had not had a runner since May 30 before the BHA cleared four of the six barns last week.

Ryan had his first runners back on June 24. Nine of the 17 were placed before he celebrated his first winner since the ban on Thursday evening at Hamilton when Company Asset quickened clear to win by three and a half lengths.

A day later the BHA lifted the ban on the two remaining barns. BHA director of equine health and welfare David Sykes said: "Following continued assessment and monitoring, the remaining two barns at Kevin Ryan’s yard have had their quarantine lifted, meaning all horses from the yard are now free to declare and race."

However, Sykes added: "As a precaution, all horses who are declared to run are being swabbed at the yard by a vet to ensure they are virus free before being allowed to travel to the racecourse.

"Providing no further cases of the neurological form of the virus are identified, the BHA will be satisfied that Mr Ryan’s yard no longer poses a risk of infection. Once again, we are grateful to Mr Ryan for his continued patience and understanding."

Equine herpes virus is a common virus that occurs in horse populations worldwide. It can cause respiratory disease, particularly in the younger population, but will also cause abortion in broodmares as well as causing uncoordination, paralysis and death.

In March, France's champion trainer Jean-Claude Rouget had to put the barn housing European horse of the year Almanzor into quarantine after a deadly outbreak of the virus claimed the lives of two of his string.