COVID restrictions

The Mar. 26 Dubai World Cup night, which features $30.5 million in purses spread across nine races, is expected to attract a full house of fans for the 26th edition. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, race meetings have been conducted with restrictions placed on the number of people allowed to attend, but for the first time since 2019, there are no restrictions at a Meydan race day. Meydan Racecourse can hold up to 80,000 spectators. Sheikh Rashid bin Dalmook Al Maktoum, the Chairman of Dubai Racing Club, said, "We are...

Plans for easing the remaining COVID-19 raceday restrictions were announced by British racing on Thursday. The weighing room resting requirements would lift by the end of February as a result. The provisional timetable agreed by the industry's COVID-19 Group is as follows: From Monday, 28 Feb., Weighing Room attendees will no longer be expected to show evidence of a negative lateral flow test prior to entry. From Monday, 14 Mar., racecourses will no longer be required to configure the Weighing Room complex for the purposes of COVID-19 infection control. These...

Every person entering a UK weighing room on a raceday will be required to present on arrival evidence of a negative Lateral Flow Test (LFT) beginning on Jan. 5, the British Horseracing Authority announced on Thursday. This mandate dovetails with the requirements introduced on Dec. 15, and is in response to the continued increase in COVID-19 cases. The LFT should be completed on each day of racing prior to travelling. Proper evidence of a negative LFT must be demonstrated either via the NHS App, or an NH text message or...

Ascot Racecourse has received a boost with the news that it has been selected by the British government to be part of the Events Research Programme (ERP) as restrictions continue to ease with regard to sporting events.  The announcement means that the racecourse will now be able to host 12,000 people daily during Royal Ascot, which begins its five-day run on Tuesday, June 15. With the final tier of government restrictions set to be lifted nationally on June 21, there had been fears that only 4,000 people would be allowed...

The Tattersalls Ireland May Store Sale has been rescheduled for Wednesday, July 14. Tattersalls Ireland has taken this step due to the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and prevailing travel restrictions. The Tattersalls Ireland Select July Store Sale is slated for Thursday, July 15, and the remaining stores will be put under the hammer at the Tattersalls Ireland August NH Sale on Aug. 10-11. At this time, inspections for the various store sales are almost complete, and the Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale remains as scheduled on June 23-24. "Naturally...

News last week that more than 200 people living or working on-site at Golden Gate Fields had tested positive for COVID-19, and that the facility would have to close its doors to live racing through November, arrived against a state-wide backdrop of rising cases, hospitalizations and COVID-related deaths. As with Golden Gate, these trends have landed with subsidiary impacts. Over the weekend, L.A. County public health officials suspended outdoor restaurant dining. Before that, the county announced other restrictions, including curfews and capacity limitations at certain stores and other public places....

Health measures in place for jockeys and any other France Galop or foreign racing authority licence holder, including apprentices, young jockeys and amateur riders, have been tightened, France Galop, in consultation with the Jockey's Association announced on Wednesday. Beginning Monday, Nov. 16, all jockeys are required to complete a COVID-19 questionnaire issued by France Galop prior to the first ride of the meeting and handed to the secretary or the stewards. In addition, starting Wednesday, Nov. 18, all jockeys must also produce an RT-PCR test or a rapid antigen nasopharyngeal...

Following the news that French President Emmanuel Macron is tightening COVID-19 restrictions, Arqana announced they are considering several options for their remaining 2020 sales. A decision on new sale dates and formats will be made early next week. "We spoke with the local authorities this morning and received confirmation that the upcoming sales will have to follow a different organization from the one in place at the recent October Yearling Sale," said Arqana CEO Eric Hoyeau. "Several alternative options remain on the table and we are working hard to review...