The South African horseracing industry has decided to further restrict the individuals who may attend race meetings.
With effect Thursday 19 March only people indispensable to holding a race meeting will be allowed access to racecourses on racedays. These comprise one trainer representative per stable, jockeys, grooms, officials and a bare minimum of staff.
Unavoidably racehorse owners and spouses, partners, friends and relatives of the essential participants listed above may not attend until further notice.
This latest announcement and the numerous protocols and procedures imposed by horseracing on Monday, are in order to ensure that the industry complies with the guidelines and restrictions regarding public gatherings announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Effectively horseracing and the training of racehorses will be conducted behind closed doors.
Access restrictions similar to racecourses are being implemented at training centres, where trainers are requested to ensure that only their staff, farriers, veterinarians, feed merchants, riders and related entities are allowed to enter their premises.
In addition, sanitisation measures are being put in place at all racecourses, training centres and off-course betting outlets, where the number of people may not exceed 100.
All stakeholders are asked to be understanding of these access restrictions and that it is critical to the future of South African horseracing that everything possible is done to keep the sport going at this very challenging time.
