COVID-19; Restrictions tighten

MEDIA RELEASE
SUBJECT: Horseracing imposes more coronavirus restrictions
DATE: Tuesday 17 March 2020
RELEASED ON BEHALF OF: Phumelela Gaming and Leisure, Kenilworth Racing, the Racing Association, the National Horseracing Authority and the Thoroughbred Horseracing Trust
After due consideration, the South African horseracing industry has decided to further restrict the individuals who may attend race meetings.
With effect this Thursday 19 March only people indispensable to holding a race meeting will be allowed access to racecourses on racedays. These comprise one trainer representative per stable, jockeys, grooms, officials and a bare minimum of staff.
Unavoidably racehorse owners and spouses, partners, friends and relatives of the essential participants listed above may not attend until further notice.
This latest announcement and the numerous protocols and procedures imposed by horseracing yesterday, are in order to ensure that the industry complies with the guidelines and restrictions regarding public gatherings announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Effectively horseracing and the training of racehorses will be conducted behind closed doors. Access restrictions similar to racecourses are being implemented at training centres, where trainers are requested to ensure that only their staff, farriers, veterinarians, feed merchants, riders and related entities are allowed to enter their premises.
In addition, sanitisation measures are being put in place at all racecourses, training centres and off-course betting outlets, where the number of people may not exceed 100.
All stakeholders are asked to be understanding of these access restrictions and that it is critical to the future of South African horseracing that everything possible is done to keep the sport going at this very challenging time.

What about the barman?


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So the owner is reduced to the following status :

Just pay, just pay, just pay, just pay, just pay, just pay, just pay, just pay, just pay, just pay, just pay just pay, just pay, just pay, just pay, just pay, just pay, just pay, just pay, just pay.

....then again taking the owners out of the current picture means that catering staff etc can be reduced too.....but at a risk that they may feel hard done by and may not be all to keen to attend a delayed sale nor get roped into those yearly offers of their favorite trainers spec buys.....:ohmy:

......well lets see what scars an other injuries the virus leaves in its wake....many moneyed people may be wiped out financially as markets and exchange rates continue to tumble....we now have cases of secondary infections and that is frightening as it may get out of control.....

Garrick wrote: So the owner is reduced to the following status :

Just pay, just pay, just pay, just pay, just pay, just pay, just pay, just pay, just pay, just pay, just pay just pay, just pay, just pay, just pay, just pay, just pay, just pay, just pay, just pay.

Well, it's for the owners protection as well.

I’m sure that the sum of the on-course trainers, grooms, jockeys, handlers and critical admin staff equals greater than 100.


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Hey Garrick. These tight security measures are certainly preferable to no racing at all. If this was the case the owners would have zero chance of earning any stakes whatsoever. With racing in its current parlous situation, an indefinite shutdown could have disastrous consequences. Let's try keep going for as long as possible in whatever format would work .... We're all sick for the game !!!

Watching the UK expert last night... He was recommending 6 month total lock down , then every second month lock down for 18 months

I am OLD ENOUGH to remember the " equine influenza of 1986 " I owned a few horses in those days.

If i can remember correctly we went between 4 - 6 months WITHOUT HAVING a runner, & then it was case of feed, feed, feed - pay, pay pay.

those were DIFFICULT TIMES then, lets hope there is no repeat.

I would rather have a RUNNER - with me NOT being on course - RATHER THAN NO RACING AT ALL :evil: :S :evil:

....a mate of mine got given a horse that broke down(did a tendon) and was operated on in an experimental procedure ....he was going to give it to his missus to train as a show jumper as it was nearly a 5 year old maiden I suggested he race it and I would take a share....but found out that a colleague of his wife had a silent share but did not pay for keep...so I declined a share as it was not fair....he ran it over 1000m at Turffies and it run 4th but was no longer eligible to run at a major centre and had to send it to Bloem....a run there went wrong and unplaced then the flu so he pulled out and gave the horse to the trainer....after flu over it won at Bloem next time out and was now legible to run at a major centre again ran a few places and then a big win in a mid division handicap at Newmarket at huge odds ....caught the JP that day.....and he never had a zak on it....my mate got so sour he never raced again....:S

Fish have been rediscovered in Venice canals.
BBC


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What’s the point of having two people on winning line?

One the photographer ( not needed)

The other waving a bit paper

Get serious man