No racing public will be permitted to attend the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate Racing Festival in January at Kenilworth.
The Sporting Post received inquiries from stakeholders and members of the racing public after publishing details of the LQP Festival packages earlier on Wednesday.
2019 – the supporters were there in numbers
In a response to our written enquiry, Cape Racing confirmed that Trainers have access to the Trainers room or alternatively they can sit in the Pocket Power Room where there is an a la carte offering. This is the norm for all meetings.
But the public will have to pay for a hospitality package if they wish to race.
The response from the operator reads that with regards access to the course, 100% people need to be in hospitality areas, as it is essentially racing behind closed doors. On course access is restricted to owners, trainers, sponsors and their guests.
The LQP Festival web page states that due to government legislation regarding alcohol consumption at sporting events, as well as rising COVID cases, they will only be hosting hospitality in the Kenilworth Building and initially opening it only to Owners, Trainers and their guests, as well as sponsors.
So the public can stand in a queue.
There will be no public on the course downstairs.
“So our custom and money is good enough for the run of the mill meetings, but we can go and sit in a tote for the two days? That’s a fail of insight by the sponsor and the operator, in my opinion. And surely the safest option in these covid times is to rather put tables and chairs on the lawns, open a sector to the public and keep folk in the fresh air? Now they are forcing us indoors,” said a reader who was one of those to phone our offices.
Regular Sporting Post reader Michael Jacobs asked on our comments platform – ‘So where does Joe Public, the regular punter who attends every meeting go? Are we allowed oncourse or are we banned for the weekend?’
The cheapest package on Friday is R400, while Saturday will set you back R600.
For those who have the budget, here are the hospitality options.
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