IRT Preparing For Return To The Sky

Over the last week Australasian studs have begun to release their stallion fees for 2020, including for a number of shuttle stallions from Europe. The skies, however, have been notably light on air traffic since the coronavirus pandemic sent many nations into lockdown, and that has included a vast reduction in flights carrying horses.

The breeding side of the racing business has thankfully been able to carry on largely unaffected. Under strict sanitary rules, broodmares have still been able to be transported for covering, and there is some reassurance of a return to normality to be drawn from the fact that the likes of Shalaa (Ire), Time Test (GB) and Harry Angel (Ire) have been advertised as returning to the Southern Hemisphere, while Too Darn Hot (GB), Blue Point (Ire), Calyx (GB) and Magna Grecia (Ire) are among those scheduled to head south for the first time.

Like so many areas of the racing world, however, there has been plenty of work going on behind the scenes to allow these plans to have been made. IRT, the leading horse transport company with branches in Australia, New Zealand, America, Britain and Germany, has been operating a dramatically reduced schedule since March but is now, like racing itself, working towards a resumption of action.

Jim Paltridge, the managing director of IRT's British wing, which is based in Newmarket, says, “We are managing to stage some flights where the groom or grooms can stay on the plane, or where the groom is a national of the particular country the horse is flying to, so long as the point of origin country accepts that groom from another nationality. The same goes for the vets. Depending on the country, that person then has to complete a mandatory 14-day quarantine in a hotel.”

Plans are being made for IRT to runs its first flight from Britain to Australia in mid-June, and encouragement will likely have been drawn from the fact that New Zealand Bloodstock Airfreight this week completed a test flight of horses between New Zealand and Australia with flying grooms in full protective wear.

“That will be the precursor for the stallion flights that usually depart in mid to late July,” Paltridge adds. “That's what we are working on and it's looking pretty positive as things stand, though we still have a few hurdles to jump.”

He continues, “We've only been in a position to start looking at solutions for about ten days to two weeks since this all blew up because everyone was in a state of shutdown and shock. We had a flight leave to Australia in the middle of March and it was a case of pulling out all the stops to get that away because when you are transiting places on route, as we do, you have to satisfy all of those countries on route with regard to things like someone getting sick or injured on the plane. There are quite a few things that need to be hammered out. From then on, after that flight, the shutters pretty much came down.”

Tim Lane, manager of the National Stud in Newmarket, is currently making plans for Time Test's return to Little Avondale Stud in New Zealand. He says, “I've been in touch with IRT and Janah and basically the message at the moment is that we are carrying on as normal with the shuttle stallions. I've also been in touch with our insurance people to discuss different scenarios and they are quite happy with the situation so it's business as usual as far as we know.”

As Paltridge has outlined, the sticking point for equine air transport resuming at a normal level is more to do with the people travelling with the horses. One notable arrival back in Newmarket recently has been Addeybb (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}), who returned from Sydney a dual Group 1 winner almost a fortnight ago.

William Haggas's assistant trainer Harry Eustace was on the flight with the horse, along with groom Safid Alam, and is currently completing his 14-day quarantine. He says, “We had to provide a negative coronavirus test before flying. Then obviously we wore gloves and masks and had plenty of hand sanitiser. But being cargo, the only people we encountered were the three pilots. We stopped in Hong Kong and Dubai but we never left the plane. It was a very interesting experience and luckily Addeybb is a very laidback character so he was a doddle to travel.”

Paltridge explains, “Nobody is not accepting horses but it's more a case of how we get them there and then get the people back again,” he says. “But things are moving in the right direction with the regard to a desire by countries to try to find solutions to make these things work, so that's good news from our perspective.

“Hong Kong is still operating. It's a slow time of the year for Hong Kong from here anyway but I believe our Australian office has a large shipment going into Hong Kong soon and then they are bringing out some retired racehorses on the back of that, so it's a round trip. We also had one shipment come north a couple of weeks ago with a Sydney runner and the trans-Tasman market between Australia and New Zealand in starting up again.”

Over the years, IRT has flown a number of Australian stars to the UK for Royal Ascot, including Black Caviar (Aus) and Takeover Target (Aus), as well as transporting Melbourne Cup winners Vintage Crop (GB), Delta Blues (GB), Dunaden (Fr) and Americain to Australia.

“We usually post upwards of 5,000 horse movements per year globally,” says Paltridge. “Three-quarters of the trade from the Northern Hemisphere is done in the latter half of the year, though of course we would normally be having Ascot runners coming in but that has been put on hold. The Melbourne Cup is the next big hurdle, and of course Sydney with the Everest and associated races, so we've got to think about how international horses can go down there.

“Seeing countries like New Zealand and Germany start to come out of lockdown gives everyone a little bit of hope. The Spring Carnival horses go into quarantine usually in early September so we've got a bit of time to work that out.”

Some respite has been provided for Paltridge during these troubling times by a horse IRT flew down to Australia last year, the former John Hammond trainee Haky (Ire) (Muhtathir {GB}). The 6-year-old was formerly owned outright by Paltridge and won in his colours at Chantilly in 2018 before OTI Racing bought into him. Several group placings in France last summer led to a trip to Melbourne, though his third-place finish behind Prince Of Arran (GB) in the G3 Geelong Cup didn't quite push him high enough up the order for a start in the Melbourne Cup. But last Saturday at Flemington, Haky, now trained by Archie Alexander, had the Cup winner Vow And Declare (Aus) behind him when winning the William Newton VC Handicap.

“When he went down there in the spring it was almost like nothing could go his way,” says Paltridge, who has remained a part-owner of Haky from afar. “Every draw he got was terrible and the only time he was ever really himself was in the Geelong Cup, and he ran such a wonderful race in that. He's an extremely honest horse and I think the Aussie lifestyle is obviously agreeing with him. I was so pleased with him on Saturday and it really cheered us all up.”

What will be even more cheering is a return to some sense of normality for business owners.

Paltridge adds, “We're confident that we're now starting to see a little chink of light coming through and the airlines are starting to want to try to find solutions, which is good, especially in light of what's happening with the passenger airlines. Around 90% of those flights have been grounded. The safety of personnel and crew must come first, but once that's buttoned down we'll be good to go.”