It is touch and go whether the pending shipment of Legal Eagle and a few others to the USA will get off the ground due to a lack of numbers.

The flight, which is due to leave at roundabout the end of February, was the initiative of Mayfair Speculators racing manager Derek Brugman. However, the cost of the flight is US$600,000 and the export task team, under the stewardship of Chris van Niekerk, had therefore hoped to have a plane filled with 15 horses.

Legal Eagle (Liesl King)

Before Saturday’s Sun Met there were only eight horses on the flight list. They were Legal Eagle, Marinaresco, The Conglomerate, Silver Mountain, Flying Ice, a couple of broodmares and a sport horse.

Brugman is not yet aware of any new bookings or cancellations which might have taken place after the Met. He said the flight was only ever going to take place if it was economically viable. This was with a view to the future as it could then become a regular exporting option.

The horses will be subjected to a 60 day lockdown upon landing in the USA. This makes it a quicker export route than the Mauritius one, which South African thoroughbreds have been using.

However, horses who wish to move on to other countries are then required, by most countries, to spend additional residency time in the USA.

Another of the biggest stumbling blocks to the USA route had been the lack of exercise opportunity for horses during the lockdown. However, thanks to the efforts of Brugman and CTS MD Adrian Todd, the US Department Of Agriculture had agreed to the installation of a treadmill.

By David Thiselton