Thursday, 29 July 2010: Japanese horses are set to race at the Melbourne spring carnival for the first time since 2006 after the lifting of quarantine bans by Australian authorities.
 | Delta Blues (right) beats Pop Rock in the 2006 Melbourne Cup
Photo by Bronwen Healy | |
|
Racing Victoria has received confirmation that Japanese horses have been cleared for travel to Australia for the spring carnival.
After extensive inspections of quarantine facilities in Japan, the Federal Government and AQIS last night approved two pre-export quarantine centres in Tokyo and Nakayama to cater for horses entered for spring carnival events.
Japanese thoroughbreds have been banned from travelling to Australia since Equine Influenza outbreaks hit both countries in 2007.
The bans came just 12 months after Japanese stayers
Delta Blue 
and
Pop Rock set Australian racing on its heels when they finished first and second in the 2006 Melbourne Cup.
The previous year another Japanese stayer
Eye Popper had finished second in the Caulfield Cup Racing Victoria's general manager of racing operations Leigh Jordan has worked hard to have the quarantine bans in Japan lifted and is thrilled by the Federal Government decision.
“This now paves the way for Japanese horses to travel to Australia. The approval of the pre-export facilities at Tokyo and Nakayama was the final piece in the jigsaw puzzle with Tokyo the preferred venue for spring carnival aspirants,” Jordon said.
“We extend our appreciation to the Federal Government, in particular Minister Tony Burke, and AQIS for their efforts in finalising the approval process in time for this year's carnival.”
At least two top class Japanese stayers – Jaguar Mail and Meiner Kitz - are short-listed to enter quarantine and travel to Australia on a Melbourne Cup mission this spring.
Champion jockey Craig Williams won the Group One Tenno Sho on Jaguar Mail in Japan earlier this year and is tentatively booked to ride the stayer in his Melbourne campaign.
Jaguar Mail, who beat Meiner Kitz in the Tenno Sho - Japan's premier two mile handicap – is trained by Noriyuki Hori and owned by the Yoshida family who raced Delta Blues and Pop Rock.
Jordan said the open door to Japanese horses will provide a huge boost for the spring carnival in terms of global media attention and tourism.
“A large contingent of Japanese media and tourists now set to join their horses in Melbourne in the coming months,” Jordan said.
“The Japanese horses proved during the 2005 and 2006 Spring Racing Carnivals that they are world class performers and their presence in the 150th Emirates Melbourne Cup, and any lead-up races for that matter, would add immense intrigue."
Jordan said while the facilities at Tokyo and Nakayama were approved, a third quarantine facility at Miho did not meet the standards set by AQIS for horses travelling to Australia.
AQIS is supplying Japanese officials with structural modifications that can bring the Miho centre up to the standard required.
Jordan said the approval of quarantine protocols may also pave the way for a Japanese entry to run in the Group One Victoria Derby at Flemington on October 30.
The connections of Break A Theory, a stablemate of Meiner Kitz, have expressed interest in sending their colt to Melbourne for the classic.
