Bookies have priced up the possible extent of the equine flu outbreak on UK meetings.
In light of the news that there was evidence of an equine influenza outbreak late on Wednesday night, four UK meetings were cancelled on Thursday with more set to follow in the coming days.
Now the question lies with when horse racing is likely to return in the UK, amidst uncertainty surrounding the severity of the outbreak at this stage.
Bookies have ‘Before 18th February’ priced as their most likely outcome at 1/5. This implies an 83.3% chance racing returns within the next two weeks. However, some high-profile races this coming weekend are likely to be affected, including the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury.
In the event that the outbreak is severe, the possibility of UK racing being cancelled until 1st March or after is priced at 5/1.
This instance would see the highlights of the season, Cheltenham Festival and the Grand National, possibly affected. Bookies see this as unlikely at this stage, implying a 16.7% chance of that outcome.
Oddschecker spokesperson George Elek: "Although the influenza outbreak could have severe effects across the UK and Ireland, fears that Cheltenham could be under threat may be slightly allayed with the short prices on offer."
"The immediate concerns will be around the welfare of scores of UK-based horses, but with major meetings already under threat this weekend, trainers and owners will hope the precautionary actions have been effective."
