The stewards' reports lately have been awash with mucus and blood and when experienced trainers are finding it unusual, punters would do well to take note.
Not since the Jockey Club took the step to report results of some after-race endoscopic examinations quite some time ago, has there been such a rash of well-fancied and failed runners turning up with dirty 'scopes.
Leading trainers Ivan Allan and John Moore, among others, have expressed surprise at the poor performance and subsequent 'scope results from some of their fancied runners recently.
The horses concerned have returned 'clean' endoscopic examinations after working strongly in the lead-up to their races and given none of the usual outward signs of sub-par health like a temperature or a cough.
Yet, when placed under the higher level of pressure in a race, they have flopped and returned with lungs full of mucus and blood.
The widely experienced Allan says he can't recall seeing an affliction like the current one - so many horses turning up ill after showing zero indication - and fully believes the wide spread of the virus, or whatever it might be, has been the root cause of his stable's poor recent run.