THE WEEK THAT WAS...02/07/2011..
"TROT TACTICS"..02/07/2011...
Yet another serious scare for horses and their owners and attendants surfaced last weekend when a case of Hendra virus was confirmed at Kerry near Beaudesert.A veterinarian attended a sick horse on Saturday and the animal was then transported to a second property where it died on Sunday.Both properties are currently under quarantine.Eight people known to have been exposed to the horse have commenced preliminary testing and treatment.This is the 15th known incident of Hendra virus since the disease was first detected in 1994.The symptoms in the horse are a rapid onset of fever and respiratory or neurological malfunction.This virus is deadly to humans.Four of the seven recorded cases in humans have resulted in death.Should any horse display Hendra type symptoms on property inhabited by fruit bats,the Bio-security number is 13 25 23 in business hours and the hotline is 1800 675 888..For possible people exposure ring Queensland Health on 13 43 2584..
Closer to home,but just as big a shock,was talented young driver Ray Law awakening last Tuesday morning to find most of his speech and a great deal of his co-ordination gone.Ray,in his early 20's,and a gym regular had suffered a minor stroke.After admission to the stroke unit at PA hospital it appeared that no permanent damage had been done and a full recovery would be sooner rather than later.Ray is back home and doing well to the delight of his fellow trot folk..
Some good news out of the Botra meeting last Monday night include the Courier-Mail's decision to resume its weekly harness racing column.Recent Pub-Tab surveys in Ipswich indicate that there is no such thing as too much news print coverage for racing.A short study by this writer in the mid 80's on race content in the Courier Mail and Sunday Mail,appeared to indicate that Tab turnover figures very closely approximated the area of print devoted to each of the codes.Joy of joys,Briz 31 will soon re-introduce a harness show titled "Blinkers Off".Time slot and start date are not yet finalised,but will be available in the next two weeks.
Things are looking up in South Australia."The growth and profitability of the South Australian Harness Racing Club is fundamental to the growth of harness racing in SA.Without a strong Globe Derby Park,we do not have a strong industry."So said John Lewis,joint CEO of both HRSA (control body) and SAHRC (Globe Derby),when prefacing an update on progress in the re-development of Globe Derby.The master plan now exists,and the first round of planning approval applications have been lodged.A detailed briefing on the re-development will be provided to participants in the sport/industry..Future news letters will appear on the website,