Racing officials are cautious but optimistic the outbreak of equine influenza (EI) is being contained in NSW and will remain restricted to pleasure horses.

Randwick Racecourse, the state's biggest training facility with around 700 horses prepared on the track, was locked down early on Monday morning when four horses from two different stables were found to have elevated temperatures.

Although it is not unusual for horses to show high temperatures, authorities were taking no risks in the wake of the outbreak which has already halted the movement of all horses in NSW.

Racing NSW chief executive Peter V'Landys said racing in the state would be at a standstill until at least next Monday and the protocols put in place by the Department of Primary Industry would remain.

"It is good news but it is just the first hurdle," V'Landys said.

"The good news is that the four horses tested don't have equine influenza or the symptoms.

"We hope it stays that way. It could have been a disaster.

"So far no racehorses have tested positive but a lot of areas will remain locked down until this burns itself out.

"It is too hard to make a prediction as to when that might happen."

Three of the four horses tested were from the Gai Waterhouse stable while the other was from Bart Cummings' yard.

Waterhouse was upbeat that the scare would prove to be just that.

"It is quite normal for horses to have temperatures at this time of year, like children," Waterhouse said.

"We have to keep a level of sanity and hope we can be back to full work in the next few days."

Waterhouse said she had not laid off any staff but V'Landys said the financial position of many of the state's 50,000 participants was already precarious.

"We are haemorrhaging now," V'Landys said.

"We want the government to immediately introduce a fund to provide assistance and declare this a natural disaster.

"People think the racing industry is the sport of kings but there are hundreds of stablehands, track riders and uni students who are casual employees.

"I had a single mother ring me worried because she couldn't buy groceries because she couldn't ride trackwork.

"In 72 hours we have lost four or five million dollars in income to the racing industry."

Australian Workers Union national secretary Bill Shorten said the AWU would also be calling on the government to provide assistance.

"It is a natural disaster," Shorten said.

"A bushfire is a natural disaster even if it is deliberately lit.

"The consequences could cause severe economic dislocation in NSW and Queensland.

"There are thousands and thousands of workers who need to be looked after."

NSW Primary Industries Minister Ian Macdonald said more than 400 horses on 53 properties were now showing symptoms of the virus, with 51 horses confirmed as carrying the disease.

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