TWO Oxfordshire trainers are among those to have had their yards placed into lockdown by the British Horseracing Authority after the outbreak of equine influenza.

A directive from the sport's governing body this afternoon means any British-based handlers who had runners at Ayr or Ludlow on Wednesday or Wolverhampton on Monday will have their entire string  tested on Friday.

In an attempt to contain the outbreak of the virus, no runners can be declared from the trainers in question until all horses have been given the all-clear.

Chipping Norton trainer Charlie Longsdon and Banbury handler Alex Hales both had runners at Ludlow on Wednesday, although there is nothing to suggest their yards are infected.

There will be no racing in Britain until at least next Wednesday following three confirmed cases of equine influenza, all from vaccinated horses at the yard of Donald McCain, who saddled runners at the meetings at Ayr, Ludlow and Wolverhampton.

The BHA have contacted trainers of all yards that might “conceivably have had contact with horses from the affected yard” in order to advise them on biosecurity measures and to ask them not to move horses.

The letter states that under rule (C)30, a trainer must not not remove, or allow to be removed, any horse under their care or control from the premises until directed otherwise by the BHA, while they have been instructed that veterinary samples are to be taken from all horses on their premises on Friday and sent to the Animal Health Trust.