International stars at Sandown

SANDOWN Quarantine Facility received its first international arrivals on Tuesday night when Japanese horses Delta Blues and Pop Rock, and English hopefuls Geordieland, Land ‘N Stars, and Wunderwood hit Melbourne to prepare for the Spring Racing Carnival.
The horses arrived at Melbourne Airport late in the afternoon and reached Sandown a few hours later.
Delta Blues, Pop Rock and Wunderwood are entered for both the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup, while the Melbourne Cup is the sole aim for Geordieland and Land ‘N Stars.
Sandown has two quarantine yards on the perimeter of the racecourse, and the facility was completed and used for the first time in 1997.
The purpose of quarantine is to monitor international horses for a minimum of two weeks to make sure they are not bringing harmful diseases into the country, and all of the horses’ equipment is sterilised in anticipation for their stay.
“The owners like it because when they are there (in quarantine) they can also go out to the track,” Sandown Racecourse business development manager Wade Calderwood said.