Attendance at ParisLongchamp on Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe weekend on Oct. 3 and 4 will be cut from its original projection of 5,000 after Paris and its suburbs were once again placed in the Reinforced Alert Zone of areas with high incidences of coronavirus. The French government announced on Wednesday that maximum attendance at public events in such zones would be 1,000, but France Galop is seeking clarity on whether that number includes staff.
France Galop has suspended ticket sales for the weekend and, pending the publication of the official decree that will specify terms, is working on setting up a system that will remain open to racing professionals while respecting health measures.
“The key question is [whether] staff are counted as part of the 1,000 limit–this would have a serious impact on whom we can welcome,” said Delloye. “Of course, owners with runners will be a top priority, but we are seeking clarification from the government.”
Trainer John Gosden, who is preparing Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) and Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) for the Arc, told Racing TV, “All I can do is train for the day and get on with the job and if we get there and we race, great. We're having to be very flexible this year. They might run the Arc somewhere else, who knows? Let's hope it's at Longchamp and let's hope it's a great race. Both horses are fine–let's hope it stays that way.”
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