Quarantine protocols for travelling racehorses between Australia and New Zealand could be relaxed by late January.But that may be too late for the New Zealand summer carnival to attract the likes of star sprinter Takeover Target who is entered for the Telegraph Handicap in Wellington on January 17.Biosecurity officials have released a draft protocol for importing horses from Australia, which drops the present five weeks of quarantine.The update on a version dated April 17 drops equine influenza

Quarantine protocols for travelling racehorses between Australia and New Zealand could be relaxed by late January.

But that may be too late for the New Zealand summer carnival to attract the likes of star sprinter Takeover Target who is entered for the Telegraph Handicap in Wellington on January 17.

Biosecurity officials have released a draft protocol for importing horses from Australia, which drops the present five weeks of quarantine.

The update on a version dated April 17 drops equine influenza requirements that included vaccination, testing, pre-export and post-arrival quarantine, on the grounds that it will only be approved once Australia gets its official clearance from EI.

That is expected to happen on Christmas Day, 12 months after the last reported case in Queensland.

A country is not considered free of flu until 12 months have passed since a case of EI.

"These conditions will only be finalised after recognition of Australia's freedom from equine influenza following the World Animal Health Organisation guidelines," the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) said.

The draft standard is open for public submissions until December 22, and the quarantine-free protocols could be in place by Australia Day, January 26, according to MAF.

The Wellington Racing Club has said the Australian sprinter Takeover Target - who has been nominated for the $1 million Telegraph Handicap at Trentham - is unlikely to cross the Tasman unless the quarantine requirements are lifted.

A total of 14 Australian sprinters have been nominated for the race.

EI arrived in Australia on a flight from Japan in August last year, triggering a chain of events that brought the multi-million dollar racing industry to a standstill.

Bungled quarantine procedures allowed rapid spread of the virus through the horse population in NSW and Queensland, and much of Australia's commercial horse sector went into lockdown, along with trans-Tasman movements.

In a normal year about 3,200 horses cross the Tasman between New Zealand and Australia.

Imports resumed in mid-May this year, but horses have to spend three weeks in quarantine in Australia and two weeks in New Zealand.

This week the Environmental Risk Management Authority gave conditional approval for use of a genetically engineered equine flu vaccine in the event of an outbreak in New Zealand.

New Zealand remains the only country with a commercial horse population not to have experienced EI.

NZPA WGT