New Flash - posted at 12.25 am

Tests taken from horses at an equine complex at Centennial Park in Sydney have returned positive to equine influenza.

Concerns were raised when about eight horses were found to be suffering from respiratory distress today.

The Centennial Park complex is situated just a stone's throw from the Randwick racecourse which houses a number of the country's top racehorses.

It comes at a time when the Australian breeding industry was turned on its ear with news some of the country's top shuttle sires would be in quarantine for at least another month.

The impounded stallions include Encosta de Lago, Rock of Gibraltar, Elusive Quality, Exceed and Excel, Danehill Dancer, Choisir, Holy Roman Emperor, Aussie Rules, Bernadini, Librettist, Country Reel, Snitzel and Black Hawk.

Today's Sydney meeting was to have hosted the Warwick Stakes, Toy Show Quality, Silver Shadow Stakes, Show County Quality and Up and Coming Stakes.

If second tests to be screened at Geelong come back at 6am with positive readings then the Randwick meeting will be called off and the Randwick area will be "locked down."