UPDATE:
Chris Roots
Trainer Ben Hayes has lost his home in the Longwood fires, his father David has confirmed to Betsy.
David said his family were essentially isolated by the fires over the last two days.
“It’s been a very tough 48 hours. The boys and I have had no sleep and basically, the volunteers have been wonderful today,” he said.
“But we were locked in for two days and Ben lost his house. All the fencing’s gone and we lost the pre-training barn. But remarkably, very few injuries, no one got injured.”
“They were evacuated at the right time. We are still assessing a few horses that have (been) affected by the fires, but on the whole, we’ve been very lucky and overwhelmed by the support from the industry.”
EARLIER:
The Hayes family have revealed the damage to their Eurora property from Victoria’s bushfires after the family were forced to evacuate on Friday.
The family confirmed a small number horses received minor burns but are healthy, while a number of key pieces of infrastructure on their farm have been damaged. David Hayes returned from Hong Kong to help the staff, led by his sons Ben, JD and Will Hayes.
It comes as Leneva Park face a “major rebuild” as flames came within feet of their properties, as they remain without power and water.
The Hayes said “all horses in work and stabled in the barns are in good condition and 100% safe.”
“The horses in spelling paddocks were incredible and are mostly in good health, with a small number of them sustaining minor burns. These horses are receiving assessment and care,” the statement said, adding “due to the loss of our paddocks, we are now coordinating the relocation of 115 spelling horses.”
“Our immediate priority has been, and remains, ensuring the safety and welfare of our people and our horses,” the statement said.
“Conditions changed to catastrophic very fast on Friday and while we were as prepared as we possibly could be and followed all advice from authorities and experts, the fire’s impact was unavoidable.”
“The family remained on site to defend the horses for as long as we could, leaving only when conditions escalated to a point where lives were at risk. The good news is that we have come through well given the circumstances.”
Leneva Park’s Mick Sharkie said small fires continue to smoulder on their property but they have appeared to have avoided major damage, including the stable block and barns, but all will be further assessed today.
“The conditions have abated for the moment although there are small fires smouldering on the property, we’re hoping the wind doesn’t kick off again,” he said.
“We’re still assessing the damage this morning, our two main houses appear intact but the fire came within feet of them. What is clear is that we have extensive damage to paddocks and fences across the entire property, no power or water, we will be out of action for a long while and it will be a major rebuild. Thoughts and prayers for those that are in harm’s way today.”
A number of structures were lost at Lindsay Park, including one barn which had already been evacuated, as well as boundary fencing and nearly all paddocks have been burnt through.
“These horses are being transported this morning by truck via a massive, coordinated effort from Troy Corstens and the North East Thoroughbred Community group to the Inglis Sales Complex at Oaklands Junction, where they will be safely accommodated,” the statement said.
“The main stables and operational areas, as well as all our tracks, are unaffected and we are aiming to return to business as usual as soon as possible, potentially even tomorrow if the situation allows.”
“We want to sincerely thank the CFA and emergency services, our extraordinary staff, the Benalla Racing Club for hosting our staff, Inglis for stepping in immediately this morning, and the many industry colleagues and friends who are assisting right now with the relocation and care of our horses.”
“The support has been nothing short of remarkable. Our hearts go out to everyone in our community who has been affected by this horrific event. Thank you for your patience and understanding during this time. Further updates will be provided as information becomes available.”
