Metro racing industry sweats on Zahra’s virus test result

THE immediate future of Melbourne racing hangs by a thread today as a leading rider awaits results from a COVID-19 test.

The jockey, believed to be multiple Group 1-winning hoop Mark Zahra, may have come into contact with a person on a plane who subsequently tested positive to the coronavirus.

Racing Victoria suspended racing during yesterday’s Sandown meeting after a jockey was told he might have caught the virus on a March 12 flight.

The Melbourne jockey has shown no symptoms of the disease since the possible exposure two weeks ago, but the virus can present without symptoms and passed on.

It may also affect NSW hoops who rode in barrier trials at Randwick on March 12 then at the Golden Slipper meeting last weekend.

The news prompted stewards at Warwick Farm to abandon yesterday’s meeting with two races to run. The jockey was tested yesterday and the industry is sweating on those results today.

If he tests negative the sport will continue, but a negative test would almost certainly stop metropolitan racing in Melbourne and Sydney.

Nine jockeys including Mark Zahra, Craig Williams, Damien Oliver, Billy Egan, Michael Walker and Michael Dee plus Sydney-based jockeys Hugh Bowman and Tommy Berry chartered a plane to fly to Sydney last weekend after they rode at the

Valley last Friday night.

RV said the participant had been advised he was on the same flight as a confirmed case of COVID-19 on March 12.

The contact between the positive carrier and the industry participant was inadvertent, an RV spokesman said.

Yesterday Zahra relinquished his four mounts at Sandown Hillside before the meeting.