The Australian Capital Territory has cancelled the Sponsors Race Day amid concerns over jockeys moving from regional New South Wales, prompting questions about the viability of the spring racing carnivals in Sydney and Melbourne.
Friday’s Canberra horse racing meeting was cancelled because jockeys would have had to travel from regional NSW to attend.
The ACT has just a handful of resident jockeys and the territory’s health department deemed the risk was too great given the current outbreak there and strict border rules. Sponsors Race Day was proposed to proceed without crowds.
“The Canberra Racing Club has just received advice from the chief health officer of the ACT that our request for an exemption to run the race meeting at Thoroughbred Park on 20 August has not been approved,” the venue’s website said. “Unfortunately the meeting will be abandoned.”
The racing club’s chief executive, Andrew Clark, said the chief health officer had agreed to review the club’s request in a week, before the next scheduled meeting on 3 September.
Clark said the club was working with ACT Health to secure an exemption for future meetings and an exemption for the territory’s jockeys to be able to ride at race meetings in regional NSW.
So far the industry has been successful in keeping racing open throughout the Covid pandemic.
But with stricter border rules in the wake of the latest Delta outbreaks in NSW, the ACT and Victoria, there is a stronger likelihood interstate jockeys will not be permitted to cross borders for major race meetings scheduled for the spring. Horses are still able to move between states as freight.
Racing NSW has continued running races without crowds or owners on the course. Only essential staff are permitted to attend: jockeys, trainers, stablehands and other service providers, such as barrier staff and veterinarians. They have been classified as authorised workers by the NSW government.
The chief steward at Racing NSW, Marc Van Gestel, said the industry had very strict biosecurity measures, including rapid antigen testing of staff and P95 masks at race tracks.
In addition, it had divided up the pool of jockeys, so that those who worked in regional NSW stayed regional, while the 23 metropolitan jockeys rode only city races.
Tighter restrictions have been implemented at the Randwick racecourse in Sydney. Staff from local government hotspots, which are mainly in the west and south-west of Sydney, are not permitted at the eastern suburbs race track, with the exception of staff from the Bayside LGA hotspot, who must get tested every three days.
Van Gestel said there had been fewer positive cases in Bayside – which is close to Randwick – and so the risk was deemed manageable.
“There are 50,000 people employed in our industry and it’s an important industry to keep running,” he said. “It’s entertainment, and sport is one of the ways to get respite when everyone is locked down.”
NSW racing authorities are in discussions with the state government over the spring carnival, which officially starts on 28 August. Public attendance at NSW races seems almost certain to be shelved but the industry hopes racing can continue.
The NSW minister responsible for racing, Kevin Anderson, said the government’s top priority was stopping the spread of the virus while minimising the impact on the economy.
“We are constantly monitoring the health advice to ensure that essential work can continue in a safe manner,” Anderson said.
“During the last outbreak, racing was able to operate safely and was the leading industry when it comes to implementing Covid safe practices. The NSW government will continue to monitor the health advice and will work hand in hand with the three racing codes to keep the community safe.”
Before the most recent wave of Covid cases, Racing Victoria had hoped to have crowds at its spring carnival, including the Melbourne Cup. But it has now paused those plans. “It’s a week-to-week thing,” a spokesperson said.
The racing will go forward, as it did during Melbourne’s earlier lockdowns, but without the usual carnival atmosphere.
Racing authorities have implemented a policy that classifies jockeys according to the risk of the zone they come from. Jockeys from hotspots in NSW classified as “extreme risk zones” are unable to enter Victoria. Red-zone jockeys will need to comply with Victorian rules, and Racing Victoria’s additional requirements for testing and isolation for 14 days.
