THE board of Horse Racing Ireland has decided that racing will continue but with strict adherence to Government guidelines regarding Covid-19 and staged without members of the general public.
A statment issued by HRI at 4.22pm on Wednesday said "This decision is motivated by the need to maintain employment and incomes for people working in the industry, and on the basis of being able to achieve and maintain all HSE advice and instructions.
"Since last Friday, five racemeetings in Ireland have been held behind closed doors with access to the racecourse limited to a number of key personnel such as stablestaff, jockeys and trainers, and strict protocols around social distancing and sanitisation."
The HRI board reviewed the five meetings that have taken place since Friday, and recommended some extra measures:
• There will be no evening meetings and no double meetings - this will reduce the draw on medical resources, a principal concern for larger racing jurisdictions with multiple meetings every day
• A maximum of one meeting per day to reduce impact on resources
• Jockeys’ weights to increase by 2lb from Friday, on the flat and in National Hunt - all racecourse saunas are closed
• No owners permitted to attend racemeetings
• No overseas runners will be permitted for the time being in Irish races
• A maximum of 30-minute intervals between races to assist social distancing
Nicky Hartery, HRI chairman, said: "These are unprecedented and sombre times and we are seeking the best ways to support the racing community and industry throughout what lies ahead. Health and welfare of employees and industry participants is the prime consideration and within that context, we have introduced protocols which can allow racing to continue and thousands of families who rely on the sector to maintain a livelihood.
"This will be kept under review on a daily basis and we are also planning measures for reprogramming fixtures as it becomes required. Changes to the programme will be separately announced.
“We have consulted with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine throughout this process and we will continue to strictly adhere to the Government and HSE advice.
"We have made it clear at all times that our medical facilities and personnel will be available for the Government to use if necessary – that will take precedence above any other consideration.”
Brian Kavanagh, chief executive of HRI, added: "This is clearly a rapidly changing situation and Horse Racing Ireland will continue to liaise with the relevant Government departments and with our health advisors.
“The executive sub-committee of Horse Racing Ireland and the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board is meeting daily to assess the situation, and the board of Horse Racing Ireland will continue to convene as required.
“Racecourses by their nature offer opportunities for social distancing that few other workplaces can. Nothing in Irish life is as it was a week ago, and in the same way, these are not race fixtures as we previously knew them, they are big open-air sites with very few people present and nobody on site if they are not involved: once a jockey or trainer has finished their business for the afternoon, they are required to leave.
"Furthermore, we have carried out risk assessments according to each individual racecourse facility, and some fixtures may be subject to greater restrictions and limitations to ensure social distancing is easily achievable and maintained."
The HRI board paid tribute to the flexibility shown by stable staff, jockeys, trainers, owners and employees of the IHRB, HRI, the media and broadcasters. "Strict measures were imposed on them almost immediately last Friday but their actions, care and vigilance have ensured that social distancing is being observed and racecourses continue to be a safe working environment.”
FIXTURE LIST CHANGES
Within an hour HRI confirmed the following changes to the fixture list for the remaining days in March:
Friday 20 Dundalk (afternoon)
Saturday 21 Thurles
Sunday 22 Downpatrick
Monday 23 Naas (from Sunday March 22)
Tuesday 24 Clonmel
Wednesday 25 Dundalk (afternoon) (from Friday March 27)
Thursday 26 Cork
Friday 27 Navan (from Saturday March 28)
Saturday 28 Curragh (from Sunday March 29)
Sunday 29 Limerick
The meeting scheduled for Dundalk on Friday, March 20th will now become an afternoon meeting. Declarations for this meeting must be made by 10am tomorrow, Thursday, March 19th.
The fixture at Thurles on Saturday, March 21st is unaffected, as is the meeting at Downpatrick on Sunday, March 22nd.
The meeting at Naas, which had been scheduled for Sunday March 22nd, has been moved to next Monday, March 23rd. Declarations for this meeting must be made by 10am on Sunday, March 22nd.
The fixtures at Clonmel on Tuesday, March 24th, and at Cork on Thursday, March 26th, are unaffected.
The meeting scheduled for Dundalk on Friday, March 27th, has been brought forward and will now be held on Wednesday, March 25th, and becomes an afternoon fixture. Entries for this meeting close tomorrow, Thursday, March 19th at noon.
The meeting scheduled for Navan on Saturday, March 28th has also been brought forward and will now be held on Friday, March 27th.
The meeting scheduled for the Curragh on Sunday, March 29th is another fixture with a new date. It will now be held on Saturday, March 28th.
The fixture at Limerick on Sunday March 29 is unaffected.
Trainers are advised that entry and declaration dates for the rescheduled meeting are likely to have changed.
POINT-TO-POINTS
At 6pm on Wednesday the Irish National Hunt Steeplechase Committee confirmed that the point-to-point season would also continue, with organisers also adhering to Government and HRI guidelines. No changes to the fixture list were announced.
CLICK HERE FOR THE COVID-19 PROTOCOLS ANNOUNCED BY HORSE RACING IRELAND