In response to the above article, the Emirates Racing Authority (ERA) today confirmed that it is extremely unlikely that the case of strangles identified in one of Marco Botti’s horses stabled in Newmarket originated from the United Arab Emirates.

The ERA can confirm that there has not been a case of strangles in the UAE Thoroughbred racing population for more than 10 years and there were no signs suggestive of strangles at any time in horses participating in the Dubai International Racing Carnival.
It should be noted that the apparent symptoms of strangles were not identified until 14 days after the horse arrived back at Newmarket. This would indicate that the horse was infected post departure from the UAE.
As a precautionary measure, blood samples taken from the applicable horse during its stay in the UAE and prior to its departure are currently being analysed for strangles. The ERA will release the results once the analysis is complete as final confirmation that the horse in question was clear of the contagion before it left the UAE.