Crowds Capped at 1000 Per Day at Galway Summer Festival

There will be an attendance cap of just 1,000 spectators per day for the Galway Summer Festival. The week-long fixture features the Galway Plate and Galway Hurdle. Galway Racecourse had submitted a proposal of 5,000 fans a day through the turnstiles, but that was rejected by the Irish Government. Instead, the festival will have the same limit on spectators as the Irish Derby meeting at The Curragh earlier this summer. Ireland is still in the grip of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We got news last night that we will be able to host 1,000 spectators on each day of the summer festival,” said Galway Chief Executive Michael Moloney. “We know, given the support that we've got over the last couple of weeks, that this will be extremely disappointing news to all our fans who had been looking forward to the opportunity maybe of coming back to Ballybrit this year. In terms of our sponsors and everyone looking forward to a larger crowd this year, it is disappointing.

“On the upside it is 7,000 more people than we had this time last year–and for those that do manage to get to come to Ballybrit this year, we're delighted we'll have owners back and now a small amount of public on top of that. We certainly look forward to making it an event that will be worth being at.”

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Royal Ascot Planning For 4,000 Spectators a Day

Under the current spectator cap put in place by the UK Government for its Roadmap out of lockdown, the five-day Royal Ascot meeting will be held with just 4,000 spectators each day. Ascot Racecourse is planning for that eventuality, but there is a slim chance that the meeting could be used as a pilot event that would allow up to 10,000 daily spectators at the venue. Step 3 of the Government Roadmap out of coronavirus restrictions is in place until at least June 21. There will be no general admission.

“In accordance with Step 3 of the Government's Roadmap, the total max capacity for racegoers on all racecourses is 4,000 per day,” Ascot Racecourse tweeted. “We remain in dialogue with Government on the possibility of a larger crowd, but will begin the process to allocate to our current permitted capacity.”

In 2020, Royal Ascot was held without spectators due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic.

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Limited Spectators to Return to English Tracks From May 17

Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed that the next phase of England's roadmap out of the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown will go ahead as planned on Monday, meaning that limited spectators may return to English racecourses from May 17.

As a result of restrictions easing across England as the Covid alert level moves from level four to level three in seven days, English tracks should be able to host 4,000 spectators or fill a venue to 50% of capacity, the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), Racecourse Association (RCA) and The Horsemen's Group (GB) said in a joint statement following the Prime Minister's announcement. Planning is underway to allow owners to see their horses and meet with trainers and jockeys in the parade ring from this date, as a result of changes to elements of the existing raceday protocols. Plans were set out in February for British racing's easing of lockdown restrictions, aligned to the UK Government roadmap and its guidelines for sporting events.

Beginning on May 17 under current raceday restrictions, the Green Zone will be limited to key indoor working areas only, such as the weighing room, where existing infection control measures will remain in place, including social distancing, entry screening and mandatory face coverings. On most courses, all other areas including the parade ring and stables will be separated from the Green Zone, with entry screening reduced for trainers, stable staff, the media, and others. Social distancing will continue to apply, as required by government guidelines. Face coverings will be mandatory in the parade ring areas and indoors–in line with government guidance–but not elsewhere on course. These changes will start to be introduced at courses in England initially, with British racing seeking to have the same rules applied in Scotland and Wales. For more details on these raceday COVID-19 protocols, please go to www.britishhorseracing.com/.

Richard Wayman, Chief Operating Officer of the British Horseracing Authority, said, “It is extremely exciting that we are finally able to welcome racegoers back to our racecourses. It will allow racing's many fans to come back to the sport they love after more than a year away. We know there is a huge public demand for families and friends to meet up, outdoors, enjoy great food and drink and the unique social occasion of a race-meeting.

“In addition, from next week, racing can once again offer our owners the opportunity to feel much closer to the action on a racecourse by returning to the parade ring. Racing's leaders very much appreciate the commitment and patience shown by owners over the past year when their attendance and experience at racecourses has been restricted by the pandemic.”

David Armstrong, Chief Executive of the Racecourse Association (RCA), said, “This next step in the Government's roadmap is hugely important milestone in the recovery of British Racing. Racecourses are very excited to welcome racegoers back and to be able to offer them a full raceday experience whilst extending our provision for owners to whom the sport remain greater in for their continued support.

“Lockdown began almost 14 months ago and it has been a very challenging journey for the industry and for racecourses in particular though several false starts and aborted pilot events. May the 17th marks a key step on the return to normality.”

Charlie Liverton, Chief Executive of the Racehorse Owners Association (ROA) said, “Owners have played a critical role in keeping horse racing going behind closed doors throughout the past 12 months, contributing over £30 million a month in training fees alone. Whilst the invoices have continued, the ability to go racing and be a part of the race day experience has been greatly hindered as the country, and the wider industry, dealt with the pandemic at large. It is therefore a welcome step that come May 17th owners can get a step closer to the action with a return to the parade ring. There is more work to be done and we will continue to work with the BHA and RCA to improve the race day experience for owners, whilst recognising this milestone in the Government's roadmap.”

In 2020, racing halted in mid-March as the pandemic took hold, and did not resume until June 1 behind closed doors. There have been a few limited pilot events with spectators, but since the new lockdown began in late December, there have been no spectators at racecourses.

British racing is also liaising with officials at national and local level to press for a return to full crowds. The full return of spectators, however, will not start until at least June 21 according to the UK Governent roadmap. The UK Government is not likely to confirm its plans to further reduce COVID-19 restrictions until a week prior to that date.

The BHA's Chief Medical Adviser, Dr. Jerry Hill, said, “Low COVID-19 prevalence, rising vaccination levels and the wider availability of NHS testing have put British racing in a position to ease some of the infection control measures that our sport has followed so diligently since June last year.

“Like other sports, we are taking a measured approach, with incremental changes to balance protecting key raceday personnel with the return of a more traditional racecourse experience, particularly for owners and trainers.

“For now, all those going to a meeting, as participants, owners, or racing fans, will still be asked to observe social distancing and other COVID restrictions as in other areas of life. If we can all maintain those responsible behaviours for the next few weeks, it will help speed the return of 100% attendances and the further relaxation and in due course removal of physical COVID-19 infection control measures.

“I also want to thank all of our sport's participants for continuing to follow our on-course protocols, particularly around the weighing room complex and other close contact areas like the parade ring. This will help ensure that courses remain safe environments as the number of attendees increases.”

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With Ontario Extending Stay-at-Home Order, Woodbine Opening Up in the Air

The Ontario government announced earlier this week that a province-wide COVID-19-related lockdown has been extended to at least May 20, dashing hopes that Woodbine will be able to open for business any time soon. The meet was supposed to begin Apr. 17.

“There is a crisis right now in the Toronto area and we're right in the middle of it,” said Woodbine CEO Jim Lawson. “They are running out of intensive care beds and the numbers are not going down. The good news is that more vaccines are coming in May, which will help a lot. People keep asking me when we are going to open, and I tell them to remain optimistic, but people are getting tired of Jim Lawson telling them he is hopeful.”

On Friday, health officials in Ontario reported more than 4,500 new COVID-19 cases and another 34 deaths linked to the disease.

Though he is hoping the track will be permitted to operate after May 20, Lawson says he cannot be certain that Woodbine will be allowed to race on that date. If the COVID situation does not improve in Ontario, the lockdown could be extended again. Another possibility is that the lockdown will be lifted but the Toronto area will fall into the “gray zone” category, under which racing is still not permitted. The Woodbine meet was cut short last year, ending on Nov. 26 when Toronto was declared a gray zone area.

“If the province comes out of the stay-at-home order and goes back to the same restrictions we had previously, then horse racing would not be permitted,” Lawson said. “Gray is the most stringent color code. When they go back to the color-coded system, Toronto would likely fall into the gray zone, and that would be a problem for Woodbine Thoroughbreds.”

Since the track closed early last year, Lawson has been pleading Woodbine's case, arguing that it is hypocritical to allow the NHL, where the games are played indoors, to operate while horse racing, an outdoor sport, is not allowed. Lawson said he has had talks with the local health department and representatives of the province, but has not been given the answers he was looking for.

“I'm banging my head against the wall,” Lawson said.

After there was just one case of COVID-19 all last year at Woodbine, a recent outbreak has occurred on the backstretch. Woodbine confirmed last week that 15 people working in the stabling area have tested positive for COVID-19.

With so much uncertainty surrounding the meet, the fear is that a large number of horses will leave Woodbine in order to race in the U.S. and may not come back. Another concern is that trainers who had been planning to race at Woodbine will instead stay home. Lawson said that Graham Motion was planning to have a string at the track this year, but has informed the racing department that because of the shutdown he will not be coming.

Woodbine's leading trainer, Mark Casse, has shipped some horses to Woodbine, but fewer than he normally would have at this point.

“We have about 35, 40 horses there and normally we would have about 75,” Casse said. “We have stopped sending  horses up. There's been talk of maybe pulling some more horses out of there, which we probably will do. I could see us possibly sending a few to New York, but with a lot of the horses I have [at Woodbine], it's because they are Canadian-bred or owned.”

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