Ryan string back on song after getting all-clear from herpes outbreak

It has been a torrid few weeks for trainer Kevin Ryan. After a case of equine herpes was discovered in his yard in May he had no runners for nearly a month, but a week after some of his team were cleared to run, on Friday the rest were given the green light and the three-year-old Lualiwa celebrated the fact by giving the yard its second winner since the outbreak by landing the £20,000 7f handicap under Joe Doyle.

Ryan was represented on course by his assistant Joe O'Gorman, who said: "It could not have come at a worse time and it was hard work for everyone in the yard. We had to wear protective suits, disinfect our boots and wash our hands all the time. We also had to keep taking blood samples and also the temperatures of the horses twice a day.

"It all took time, one Sunday it took me four hours to take all their temperatures in the morning and another four hours to do it in the evening. Wearing those suits during Royal Ascot week was really hard as it was sweltering. But all the staff did really well and we seem over it now.