NICCI GARNER
WHILE many trainers are awaiting the outcome of negotiations to export horses directly into Dubai for next year’s International Racing Carnival, trainer Herman Brown is not letting the grass grow beneath his feet and the three local horses he has acquired to campaign in the desert are already in quarantine in Johannesburg.
“They are going the long route – 21 days in Johannesburg, 90 days in Mauritius and then 30 days in England. At least they’ll be out the country,’’ said the man who has enjoyed great international success with horses like Jay Peg (Dubai Duty Free and Singapore Airlines International Cup), Gitano Hernando (Singapore Airlines International Cup) and Mourilyan (third in the Melbourne Cup). “I am trying to get permission to fly them straight from Mauritius to the UAE, but nothing’s confirmed yet. We’ll have to wait and see.
“This is a terrible state of affairs, very bad for the whole industry because who will buy horses that can’t get out the country in a reasonable timeframe? I might have bought another two or three horses, but I can’t take the chance. I’ll probably go to England next month to buy a couple there.’’
The long journey became necessary following an outbreak of the dreaded and deadly African horse sickness (AHS) virus in the surveillance zone of the Western Cape in February. An automatic two-year ban on exports from South Africa was imposed by the EU, a protocol that was later adopted by Hong Kong and the UAE amongst other countries. By law, horses in South Africa are required to be vaccinated every year (normally in the spring) against AHS, which is transmitted by the culicoides midge. The midge becomes inactive in winter and AHS does not occur during the cold months. Most horses in the control area of the Western Cape, which incorporates the AHS-surveillance zone and the AHS-free zone, are not vaccinated, standing as “sentinels’’.
The State Vet has applied to the UAE and Singapore to allow direct imports from the AHS-free zone in Cape Town – 60km from where the most recent outbreak occurred – during the low-risk period. The horses would be isolated for a period in the Kenilworth Quarantine Station, which is situated in the AHS-free zone – an area that has never had a recorded incident of AHS.
Brown recently bought two horses out of the Mike Bass stable – Fort Vogue and a newcomer to that yard, Galileo’s Galaxy. He also purchased a classy two-year-old, Moon Spun, and all three will run in the silks of his principle owner, Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov.
“They’ll only be walking and trotting in Mauritius, but the break will do them good. We’ll worry about getting them fit at the end of the year.’’
Black Minnaloushe filly Moon Spun has shown great promise in her three starts to date for Alyson Wright, winning her second career outing and placing in the other two. Brown says, “She’s a big, tall, leggy filly who I’m hoping will qualify for the UAE 1000 Guineas.’’
He believes that Fort Vogue, who has won six of his 26 career outings including the 2011 Durban July Consolation, and Galileo’s Destiny will be “very nice Carnival horses’’.
“One is an 1800m to 2000m horse and other goes well over 1400m,’’ he said.
They will join his international string which includes horses like Mikhail Ginko and former SA runner Orbison, who won the Champions Cup and finished third to Bold Silvano in the Durban July in 2010.
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SEE ABOVE IN BOLD.....:S
So did he buy Galileo's Galaxy or Galileo's Destiny GREAT JOURNALISM ONCE AGAIN
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