A string of disappointing performances by his horses over the summer and particularly Sun Met day, led trainer Dean Kannemeyer to discover that his Milnerton-based string has been infected with a low-grade virus.

Dean Kannemeyer (Nkosi Hlophe)

Kannemeyer issued a public statement yesterday stating; “When all of my Met day runners performed so poorly I realised that something was definitely amiss. The difficulty is that, despite the virus, the horses eat well and work well, but do not display any outward symptoms of illness. But their falling away late in their races and fading to nothing suggested that all was definitely not well”.

Kannemeyer, whose Summerveld satellite base in KwaZulu-Natal has been regularly producing winners, called in leading veterinarian Dr John McVeigh who took the bloods from his runners after the Met and randomly tested 18 horses in his Cape yard.

The results came back positive last Monday, 6 February.

According to McVeigh, this virus is common and widespread throughout the equine population worldwide.

“I am told that the virus will go as quickly as it arrived. We will thus be treating the entire string and ease off them for at least a fortnight,” said Kannemeyer. He added that the virus was not expected to have any impact on his SA Champions Season plans and that it would be business as usual later on this month in the Cape.

By Andrew Harrison