Macedon Lodge has been declared an ”infected place” by stewards and will remain locked down as veterinary testing has failed to conclusively prove why a number of horses are ill.
A number of horses, including last year’s Melbourne Cup hero Knight’s Choice, have been restricted from leaving Macedon Lodge after a they recorded elevated temperatures.
Alongside Knight’s Choice, a number of other John Symons and Sheila Laxon horses are believed to have remained stranded.
Betsy revealed on Sunday there were concerns for a number of the stable’s horses, with resident Macedon Lodge trainer Liam Howley also being told to not move his horses from the property.
In a statement provided to Betsy on Wednesday, stewards said they have declared an “infected place” at Macedon Lodge while further testing is carried out.
“Samples were collected on that day from horses at the property for analysis and these have now returned inconclusive results regarding the cause of the elevated temperatures,” the statement said.
“Following discussions today between the stewards, equine disease experts, RV veterinarians and the stable veterinarians, it has been determined that further samples will be collected early next week in the hope of obtaining more conclusive test results.”
“Stewards, acting with an abundance of caution and in the broader interests of the industry, have declared Macedon Lodge an “infected place” pursuant to Australian Rule of Racing 89(4) thus requiring all horses to continue to remain at the property.”
“The results of next week’s tests will help determine when horse movement from/to the training property may resume. Until then, Mr Symons and Ms Laxon’s horses remain under the watchful eye of stable veterinarians, as do those of trainer Liam Howley which are spelling on site also.”
