It was supposed to be a routine Thursday at Uttoxeter. Six horses trained by the in-form partnership of Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero had been declared to run. But as the declarations came through, something was off. All six runners were scratched, and the only note on the card was a vague one: Vets Certificate (Other).

Top marks are due to everyone in the yard for the way this was swiftly and professionally handled. A new arrival to Greenall and Guerriero’s stables had tested positive for strangles, the dreaded bacterial infection that strikes fear in trainers across the country. The timing couldn’t have been worse, and yet the responsible and swift response may have spared the yard - and others - a much larger crisis.

The First Sign

“We got a positive test on a horse that had just come into the yard,” Josh Guerriero explained. “Fortunately, it had been kept separate and only had contact with eight others.” In the world of infectious disease, especially something as insidious as strangles, that’s considered a lucky break. Strangles — caused by Streptococcus equi — spreads like wildfire, and even the most robust hygiene protocols can buckle under pressure.

Within hours, the potentially affected horses were isolated. Nasal swabs were taken, temperatures began to be recorded twice daily, and the yard ground to a halt. No horses would leave. No horses would run.

“We’re being extra cautious,” Guerriero said. “We don’t want to take any chances. Hopefully, if all goes well with testing, we’ll be back in about two weeks.”

An Unwelcome Guest

Strangles is the kind of word that sends a chill through a racing operation. It’s common, but never casual. A fever, thick nasal discharge, swelling under the jaw are the visible signs. But even more dangerous are the hidden carriers, horses that shed bacteria without any outward symptoms. They can quietly pass the infection to others through shared buckets, grooming tools, or simply by brushing up against a stablemate.

For Greenall and Guerriero — who have built their stable on a foundation of precision, patience, and a growing string of festival-quality horses — the outbreak came at a moment when momentum was everything. With horses like Iroko and Jagwar having made statements at Cheltenham, the yard was on the rise. Now, the only priority was containment.

Lockdown in the Yard

There’s a well-rehearsed playbook for dealing with strangles, and this yard was following it to the letter. Each horse in contact with the infected arrival was swabbed, monitored, and penned off from the main string. No staff crossed between isolated areas and healthy horses. Buckets, tack, and even clothing were separated. The goal? Stop it dead. And keep it there.

Further tests were scheduled for ten days out — and more if needed. Until every last result came back negative, the yard would stay quiet.

“You always hope it doesn’t come to your door,” one staff member said, “but once it does, you’ve got to act fast. That’s what we’ve done.”

Ripple Effects Across the Racing Map

The decision to withdraw all runners from Uttoxeter wasn’t just a precaution — it was a message. This yard wouldn’t risk becoming a vector for a wider outbreak. With major meetings coming up and horses stabled at tracks all over Britain, the ramifications of an infected traveler could be catastrophic. Nobody wanted another ripple effect like the one that recently hit New York, where Saratoga’s strangles issues forced Monmouth Park to scratch dozens of runners from cross-border barns.

By voluntarily pulling their runners and going public, Greenall and Guerriero were doing the sport a service — even at a personal and financial cost.

The Road Back

There is hope that by mid-August, if all tests clear and no symptoms emerge the yard could resume operations. But strangles doesn’t always play fair. A single carrier horse, undetected in the guttural pouch, could extend a lockdown by weeks. That’s why the testing protocols will go beyond simple nasal swabs and into deeper diagnostic territory before any horse returns to a racecourse.

And in the meantime, the yard waits. No gallops on the grass. No lorries loading up before dawn. Just the hum of careful monitoring and the quiet thrum of a yard holding its breath.

For racing fans, it’s a reminder that behind every entry and every declaration is a delicate web of care, caution, and timing. What Greenall and Guerriero are navigating now is the less glamorous side of the sport — the veterinary chess game that can stall even the strongest campaigns.

They caught it early and they acted fast. Wishing a speedy recovery to all!