What seems to be an oversight could keep Seachange from competing in Dubai.
The champion mare's ownership manager Rick Williams received a shock yesterday when he discovered that Dubai does not have a protocol for visiting horses from New Zealand because this country has never sent a horsedirectly to race in Dubai on a temporary basis.
When Sunline competed in the 2001 Duty Free in Dubai she was travelled through Australia, then Singapore and onto Dubai. Not long after Emirates received landing rights in New Zealand and flights now go direct to Singapore then to Dubai.
The option to route through Australia does not exist at the moment because of the equine influenza problem. Before the EI outbreak, Seachange could simply land in Australian route to Dubai, for which a protocol exists.
Williams says at this stage he is not greatly worried. "I reckon they'll sort it out," he said.
"After all we're EI-free and there's no reason why there shouldn't be free access into Dubai from New Zealand."
If a new protocol is not introduced quickly the only one open to Seachange would be the one under permanent imports - requiring total isolation for 30 days.
"That's totally unacceptable to us in terms of keeping her fit enough for the race she's there for."
Williams has emailed the Dubai racing manager, Australian Martin Talty, to say a new protocol will need to be in place to allow a chance for Seachange to make the trip.
The bureaucratic processes in democracies like New Zealand can see lengthy delays before protocols change, but things are vastly different in countries like Dubai.
The ruling Maktoum family is behind the management of the Dubai Racing Club and you imagine the process of changing a protocol, which seems to be essentially an oversight, would be a very simple matter.
"We'll run her at Te Rapa and if there is no change in the situation after that we'll have to scrub Dubai and look at the Futurity in Melbourne. We'll take our chances with the EI protocols for coming back out."
Williams said Seachange has breezed through her remarkable win in Saturday's Telegraph Handicap.
"She doesn't know what's happening and she doesn't care where she races," he said.
