Owners able to return to track from Monday
Victorian racehorse owners will be allowed on-course to watch their horses run from Monday.
However, racing fans and club members are still locked out of race tracks under the government's coronavirus restrictions.
A crowdless Caulfield hosted March's All-Star Mile meeting.Credit:AAP
Racing Victoria chief executive Giles Thompson said owners would be the first to return, as early as Monday's meeting at Swan Hill.
"That is great news, particularly because the owners have kept people in jobs right across the state with their investment over the last nearly 14 weeks during this COVID [pandemic]," Thompson told RSN radio.
"It's great to be able to recognise that and give them access to the track and thank them for their loyalty and understanding in this period of time.
"[However] members of the race clubs and the general public won't be able to go back to the track from Monday.
"That's because from a government guideline perspective, spectators, and they're classified as spectators, as compared to owners, who are classified differently … spectators are captured by the broader professional sports guidelines which also covers things like the AFL, NRL, within Victoria.
"Those guidelines are state-based. So while at a federal level there is an opportunity for states to expand the number of spectators, currently in Victoria the government guidelines do not allow spectators and that includes members."
Thompson said there would be biosecurity measures in place to make sure there's an on-course divide between owners and racing participants, such as jockeys, trainers and strappers.
"It won't be as full and rich an experience as we'd like to offer and as the clubs would like to offer, because there will still need to be appropriate COVID-safe protocols around all of that, but this is a great first step," Thompson said.
Owners will be allowed back to the track from Monday, according to Racing Victoria chief executive Giles Thompson.Credit:AAP
"We have to segregate the racing operations, those people who have been essential to racing, been there for the last 14 weeks delivering racing … from anyone else going to the track, and that is the owners."
TAB outlets are also poised to open across Victoria from Monday as restrictions in Victoria continue to be eased.
However, a return to the course for members and the general public is not likely until late July.
In his announcement last week, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said outdoor events, such as festivals, where people are free to roam around, would remain banned when some restrictions are lifted in July.
"Outdoor festivals will be allowed, but they will need to offer seating to patrons," he said.
"If we're talking about large folk festivals where people roam around from tent to tent, and gathering to gathering, that is not something that is being talked about here."
Racing authorities are looking at ways to get spectators back to the track under such guidelines.