BHA to share plan 'very soon' for readmitting owners to racecourses

The BHA told owners on Monday it expected to be in a position to share details of a plan to re-admit them to racecourses "very soon".

BHA chief operating officer Richard Wayman has written an open letter to Britain's racehorse owners in which he thanked them for their patience and loyalty as the sport has resumed behind closed doors.

The measures introduced around the return of racing on June 1 have sought to minimise the number of people allowed on track but the BHA has always said that allowing owners back on track would be among the first priorities once the sport was safely up and running.

The letter from Wayman, who was chief executive of the Racehorse Owners Association between 2012 and 2015, is in some ways an acknowledgement of the frustration felt by many of those currently barred from watching their horses run in person. His update comes on the day when Racing Victoria became the latest governing body to announce an easing of restrictions.

The BHA's Richard Wayman has written an open letter to ownersCredit: George Selwyn

Wayman said: "I want to thank owners for your continued patience and understanding during an incredibly difficult period for our sport. You've shown incredible loyalty and I know how disappointing it is that you haven’t been able to watch your horses run.

"In the early stages of resumption, we have had to limit racecourse attendance to only the very minimum number of attendees with essential functional roles. This has enabled us to embed the new safety protocols in raceday operations and give participants time to adjust to different ways of working.

"Nonetheless, we have stated repeatedly that owners are integral to racing, and that getting you back on to the racecourse is an absolute priority as soon as it is safe and practicable to do so.

"We've been working on a phased, risk-managed plan, that adheres to the necessary safety protocols, including social distancing. We expect to have specific proposals ready to share very soon – and look forward to welcoming owners back on to the racecourse."

Racing Victoria to allow owners to return to the track from Tuesday

Owners will be allowed to attend race meetings at some of Australia's biggest tracks from Tuesday, after restrictions on social gatherings were eased.

Racing Victoria governs all racecourses in the state of Victoria in the southeast of Australia, including Flemington and Moonee Valley, and Tuesday's meeting at Ballarat is the first to welcome owners back on track in the state.

No more than 30 owners can attend for each race on the card and a time limit will be set by each track for owners to leave the racecourse after their last runner of the day.

Areas of the course will be strictly managed with maximum attendances – 20 people in outdoor spaces and ten indoors – to ensure social distancing. Owners will have to register to be permitted entrance to the racecourse.

On June 3, the Australian Turf Club allowed owners to start attending meetings at tracks in New South Wales with similar protocols.

Racing Victoria's chief executive, Giles Thompson, said on Monday: “Owners are essential to our sport. They fund the training, care and welfare of our horses and have kept people in jobs right across Victoria with their ongoing commitment to racing during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We're delighted we now have a framework that allows us to start welcoming owners back to race meetings when their horse is engaged.

“The circumstances may differ slightly from one track to another, but the fundamentals will be the same around attending to watch your horse race and then leaving thereafter, whilst adhering to all social gathering restrictions."

He added: “This pandemic provides an ongoing threat to the health of Victorians and the safe continuation of racing, so it was incumbent on us to ensure that the protocols implemented protect the health of all attendees and ensure we don’t compromise the safe continuation of Victorian racing.”

Racing Victoria hoping for sizeable Melbourne Cup crowd

Racing Victoria's chair Amanda Elliott revealed on Monday that she is expecting a crowd of around 40,000 to 50,000 to be able to attend the Melbourne Cup on November 3.

Last year a crowd of 81,408 witnessed Vow And Declare win Australia's biggest race.

Melbourne Cup: over 80,000 attended the big race last yearCredit: Jenny Evans

Elliott told Racing.com: "We're very optimistic about Cup week. We're planning for it to go ahead with a number [in mind].

"When we think about what that number might be, we're hopeful that it'll be around 40,000 to 50,000. That's just a stab in the dark.

"But we do need to start planning with numbers. Clearly the team has been working on scenarios where that is possible, at the same time as observing all the restrictions that are currently in place and hopefully will be eased by then."

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