Quote:
Originally Posted by goodie
they were being held in Toodyay. Not sure of the latest with that though. 
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THey tried to establish a EI quarrentine station in Tooday for perth cup but local riders boycotted it threatning to go within the boundries
EASTERN state horses have been effectively banned from this year's Perth summer carnival.
In a major blow to the prestige of the carnival, horses such as Divine Madonna, Apache Cat, Gold Edition, Undue, Niconero, Great Is Great and Shrewd Rhythm, all courted by officials, won't be going west.
Despite the best efforts of Perth Racing officials, equine influenza quarantine facilities at Toodyay and Belmont have been ruled out.
Up to 25 interstate horses were expected at the carnival.
Perth Racing chief executive Alisdair Robertson said he was confronted by a wall of resistance as he tried to woo interstate horses.
"It's a disgrace," he said.
Perth Racing tried to arrange quarantine facilities where horses could remain in work, as is the case with international horses at Sandown.
Toodyay was sabotaged by local pony club members.
They threatened to bring ponies within the 1000m exclusion zone, forcing the Department of Agriculture to declare it unsuitable.
An alternative plan to quarantine horses at Belmont was also met with "determined resistance and disruption from a number of parties", according to Robertson.
"It seems bizarre that the Department Of Agriculture on one hand can state in a public meeting that there is no risk of EI coming to WA on a horse from Melbourne, and that they can see no reason there should not be free movement of horses," Robertson said.
"Yet they bow to pressure and introduce a seven-plus-seven-day isolation protocol (seven in Melbourne, then seven in Perth)."
Trainers such as David Hayes were prepared to serve the quarantine with their horses but, without suitable facilities for horses in training, that is now not an option.
To highlight the farce, jockey William Pike rode at Moonee Valley on Saturday and at Northam in WA on Sunday day without any restrictions.
YESTERDAY's Melbourne Cup 39 third declarations are down on last year's 50, no doubt affected by the EI outbreak. There were no surprise omissions.