Horse racing back to strict lockdown rules

Only people with an Essential Service Permit will be allowed onto South African racecourses for the immediate future as horse racing returns to the stringent behind-closed-doors coronavirus protocols that were in operation earlier this year.

That means horse owners and their friends and families are barred and only limited numbers of stable staff, jockeys, and officials, needed to conduct race meetings, will be allowed onto the premises.

Anyone with co-morbidities is banned.

Jockeys will have to stay and ride in a province of their choosing from 4 January until at least 18 January.

The minimum riding weight is 52kg and jockeys’ sweat box facilities are strictly off-limits.

Races will have a maximum of 14 runners, apart from graded and listed events which have a 16-horse limit.

The final race on any card will be scheduled to start no later than 7pm.

The restrictions are effective from 29 December.

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This follows the announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa that South Africa has reverted to Level 3 lockdown regulations with some amendments.

Vee Moodley, CEO of the National Horseracing Authority (NHA), said in a press release that the NHA had given “careful and urgent considerations” to Ramaphosa’s televised address to the nation.

“In keeping with its mandate to safeguard the wellbeing of its stakeholders and interested parties, the NHA shall continue to align it’s racing behind-closed-doors protocols in a responsible and robust manner so as to ensure consistency and that horseracing can continue at minimal risk to all of its participants,” said Moodley.

“Consequently, the regulations and protocols that were instituted before the re-commencement of racing on 1 June 2020 will be adopted with immediate effect.”

The NHA’s chief compliance officer Arnold Hyde and his team will police every race meeting to ensure that the 1.5m social distancing rules are adhered to – along with the wearing of masks and regular hand washing or sanitising.

“If a person is caught not wearing a mask, on conviction they are liable for a fine and/or be imprisoned for up to six months,” warned the NHA

The press release pointed out that a new variant of Covid-19, which is driving the second wave of the virus, is more potent and spreads faster, with infections climbing at an alarming rate and people becoming more sick than previously.

Moodley added: “The two-month period that our industry was shut down between 27 March until 31 May 2020 is still fresh in our memories and this should remind us of the need for individual responsibility, which shall go a long way in ensuring the growth and sustainability of the horseracing industry.”

The NHA will provide an update around 18 January 2021, based on Ramaphosa’s scheduled address to the nation prior to 15 January 2021.

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