KEY POINTS:
Victoria Will deploy an army of private security guards at state border crossings to stop equine influenza spreading from New South Wales and Queensland.
State premier John Brumby yesterday said about 100 security guards would augment police and Department of Primary Industries (DPI) patrols that guard the 28 river crossings from NSW into Victoria.
"We will employ additional security guards, who will work and assist police and DPI, to ensure we have 24/7 protection on the 28 river crossings into Victoria," Brumby said.
"We want to make sure we safeguard the industry fully and properly right throughout the spring carnival period and ensure there are no horse movements into the state of Victoria."
Yesterday he officially opened Flemington racetrack that had been closed for 10 months for a A$33 million ($40 million) facelift, which included the laying of a new track.
Brumby said the security guards would remain "for as long as it takes" and the exercise would run into millions of dollars.
Biosecurity measures were in place at Flemington with racegoers barricaded away from horses and jockeys.
At Eagle Farm in Brisbane, people could have been forgiven for thinking they were extras in a movie depicting the horrors of chemical warfare.
Stewards, in conjunction with the Department of Primary Industries (DPI), divided the course's usually inhabited areas, forcing trainers to converse with owners over steel fences and media to conduct interviews the same way or by mobile phone.
Once anybody entered any of these zones they were banned from exiting, unless they were leaving the course for the day. But the sanctions were broken.
Before the crisis, trainers would make a beeline to the press box to watch the race on the wide-screen television - and nothing changed yesterday.
But the press weren't allowed anywhere near the horses.
Starter and course curator Bill Chuck was in constant contact with sweating horses. He walked into the press box after race one to wash the dishes.
- AAP
