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Racing thrown a lifeline as training centres and stables deemed essential services

Racing has been thrown a lifeline by the Government during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Ministry Of Primary Industries has announced that training centres, stables, agistment properties and stud farms where horses are in containment are considered essential services under animal welfare considerations.

Businesses with more than five people (including the owner) working at each business site, or who cannot achieve social distancing between staff, are required to register.

The businesses will need to answer 11 questions to provide assurance they have a plan and process to manage infection risks. Much of this will be covered in the protocols which will be distributed later today.

MPI has requested that all businesses which need to register do so by 5pm on Friday, 27 March 2020. Businesses will be able to continue operating while going through the registration process.

New Zealand Throughbred Racing, the NZ Trainers’ Association and the NZ Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association will be providing a template to assist with completing the paperwork later today.

The decision comes after a combined plea from NZTR and Harness Racing New Zealand which are confident training tracks and stables can remain safe places of work under strict protocols and that people in racing can look after horses without further spread of Covid-19.

The codes’ plan stipulated only essential working personnel would be allowed at training tracks and that all safety measures implemented by the MIP would be followed.

Ray Green … it will keep the game alive.Ray Green … it will keep the game alive.The news was welcomed by Lincoln Farms’ trainer Ray Green.

“Common sense has prevailed. We’ll be able to look after the horses better rather than just slinging them out in the paddock.

“And this will save a heap of jobs and potentially keep the whole game alive. We can continue to train the horses and have them ready to go when racing resumes.

“Otherwise it could have been another three or four months even when we got back to level three and that would have been disastrous for the industry.”

The decision will send a number of the country’s biggest stables into a spin as they have already sent their teams to agistment farms.

Tony Pike … the horses would have got stir crazy.Tony Pike … the horses would have got stir crazy.NZ Trainers’ Association president Tony Pike said he had cut his team from 80 to 25 and even though trainers now had the go ahead to work horses it was not the intention that full teams would be maintained.

“We’ve been given a small window of opportunity and everyone has to be very careful how we do this.

“I understand they’re working through the protocols now and that there won’t be any jumpouts or trials - it’s purely to enable us to exercise our horses.

“Obviously only a couple of horses will be allowed on the track at once as we’ll need to keep everyone as far apart as we can.”

Pike said he was very pleased MPI had allowed horses to stay in work as “we were running out of room for agistment and with no grass, and getting into winter, places would be seriously over-stocked.

“If the tracks hadn’t reopened we’d only have had half a dozen small paddocks for the ones left, and a walker, and the animals would quickly have become stir crazy.”

Our runners this week: How our trainers rate them

Nathan Delany

Nathan’s comments

Thursday night at Cambridge

Race 1: Im Not The Maid
5.14pm

“She went pretty well last week considering they came a fast last half (56.3) and she sat parked from the 800. She’s back to the amateur grade, and should get a good run from the two draw, so hopefully we can get a bit of cash.”

Race 4: Dreams Of Eric
6.38pm

“She didn’t handle the right-handed bends at Auckland last week (galloping at the 300) so we’ll stick to Cambridge from now on. There’s a bit of gate speed in the race so Harry (Harrison Orange) should be able to sit in somewhere. I think he’s a good chance to run top three.”

Ray Green

Ray’s comments

Friday night at Auckland

Race 1: Leo Lincoln
5.59pm

“He’s racing very well. He would have run second last week (to American Me) had he not spooked at the winning post. These are tidy horses he’s racing against but he’s holding his own.”

Race 1: Kevin Kline
5.59pm

“He’ll go better back to a mobile start. He did well to finish so close last week after a slow start than having to do all the donkey work when parked for the last lap. Maurice really likes him because he just puts him into cruise control and he keeps going.”

Race 3: Lincoln Downs
6.58pm

“She’s not as good as the other filly but some lift their game when the money’s up so maybe she can pick up a cheque.”

Race 3: Lincoln’s Spice
6.58pm

“She looks a pretty decent chance of winning. She’s a real little tradesman, does nothing wrong, is easy to handle, is a nice drive, tries hard, is great gaited and has the potential to get stronger.”

Race 5: Tyson
7.51pm

“We found out he raced with a virus last time. The next morning snot was pouring out his nose and that’s why he didn’t finish it off as well as we expected. He only whacked away in the run home. With that gone, he should race better.”

Race 5: Johnny Lincoln
7.51pm

“I think he’ll be competitive and he’s the best of ours in the race. He won well last week and has trained on well. He’s promising. I couldn’t go as far as to say he’s a classic colt yet but we’ll find out soon enough.”

Race 5: Sugar Ray Lincoln
7.51pm

“He’s doing my head in. He had no excuse for breaking last week. Maurice (McKendry) didn’t blame the wet track. He said he was gliding along, travelling beautifully, when for no apparent reason he put in big steps. I’ll put a hood on him this time to see if it’s a nervous issue.”

Race 8: The Rascal
9.23pm

“All going well, he should win what is a poor maiden field. He’s elevated himself from the transfer list and is going well now. He doesn’t have huge gate speed, so he may not lead but he should get a good trip from one. On paper, he’s our best chance of the night.”

Whales Harness