Coronavirus nightmare: Trainers Adrian Bott, Joe Pride and Matt Smith join jockey Tim Clark to discuss COVID-19
These are not normal times in which we live as some senior racing industry personnel talk about plans of digging in during an ever-changing landscape to see off the threat of COVID-19.
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Golden Slipper-winning trainer Adrian Bott said racing industry personnel are going to extreme measures in an endeavour to ensure the sport continues during the worsening coronavirus outbreak.
The Daily Telegraph spoke to four leading racing identities to gain an insight into how they are trying to keep the racing industry functioning.
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TRAINER ADRIAN BOTT
“Every staff member has their temperature taken at the start of the day,’’ Bott said.
“Our stable staff are constantly using hand sanitisers regularly upon entry and exit to the stable, and the stable equipment is disinfected numerous times during the day.
“We are aware of the government protocols, all our staff has received emails detailing those guidelines, so they all know what is expected of them.
“We are constantly educating and advising everyone of following these protocols and what it means for their livelihood.
“Everyone is practising social distancing in the workplace and self-isolation when they are not at work to minimise contact and interaction with others.
“As of today, our stable managers have been doing an online infectious control training course which goes through all the necessary measures they need to be aware of and ensure our stable staff are complying with the protocols.’’
JOCKEY TIM CLARK
“I think over the last couple of weeks it has dawned on us this is extremely serious,’’ Clark said.
“Most other sports have been cancelled and we are trying to do our best to keep racing going.
“We are different to other sports as we have no contact and we are more than happy to adhere to the protocols in place to continue with the racing.
“Racing NSW, the jockeys, everyone is doing what they can to keep racing going.
“We are following all the protocols to keep everyone healthy and safe.
“My daughter is off from school now so we are all staying at home, only going out if we really have to. We are trying to avoid contact with anyone.
“Hopefully, everyone can stick by the rules and the government protocols.’’
TRAINER MATTHEW SMITH
“We’re extremely concerned. As soon as one of the jockeys gets it we’re in a world of pain,’’ Smith said.
“I’ve got a stack of staff and we want to keep the doors open if we can. It’s a big worry.
“The other things you’ve got to think about is the owners that are losing their jobs and can’t pay a bill.
“I’ve already had quite a few owners that have been laid off and no-one knows what’s going to happen.
“What are we going to do with the horses? We’re different to every other industry.
“We can’t just switch them (horses) off then start quickly start again.”
“They might need to stagger the track work hours. If they did that we wouldn’t come into contact with anyone.”
TRAINER JOE PRIDE
“I think it’s inevitable that we’re heading for a shutdown, it’s just a matter of when,’’ Pride said.
“I can’t see how we can keep operating when everything else is shutting down.
“Without the prospect of no racing, do we want to run up bills on horses? It’s not the smart thing to do.
“None of it’s good and it’s hurting my brain thinking about it.
RACING ROLLS ON AFTER JOCKEYS CLEARED
Sydney’s showpiece autumn carnival will continue at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday after a coronavirus test on a Melbourne jockey returned a negative result.
But there is still concerns the racing industry could be impacted as NSW moves closer to a Government-imposed lockdown.
The Tancred Stakes meeting at Rosehill Gardens was dependent on a favourable result of tests on jockey Mark Zahra taken Wednesday.
Racing NSW confirmed tests taken the same day on Sydney jockeys Hugh Bowman and Tommy Berry cleared both of having COVID-19 early Thursday morning.
Peter V’landys, Racing NSW chief executive, said the Rosehill races will go ahead on Saturday.
“We were very pleased to learn the results on all the jockeys are negative,’’ V’landys said. “I’m sure it was a relief to both jockeys and their families.’’
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian hinted on Thursday a lockdown to combat the spread of the coronavirus was possible. If a lockdown was implemented, it would almost certainly result in the racing industry being forced to cease operations.
“A complete lockdown is another concern for us,’’ V’landys said.
Racing in Victoria had been suspended until the Zahra’s tests are returned.
Zahra alerted Racing Victoria officials on Wednesday of his potential exposure to COVID-19 after travelling on a commercial flight on March 12. Acting on Zahra’s advice, and through measures put in place by Racing Victoria, contact tracing began.
Bowman and Berry were tested as they rode at Moonee Valley last Friday night and then caught a charter flight with Zahra to Sydney last Saturday for the Golden Slipper meeting.
With Zahra now cleared of coronavirus, Victorian racing is set to resume today with meetings at Pakenham and Warrnambool.
Racing Victoria chief executive Giles Thompson said on Thursday night: “We’re really pleased for Mark that his test has come back negative. Mark’s negative test paves the way for racing to resume in Victoria tomorrow and for this we are extremely grateful.’’
Meantime, Racing NSW chief steward Marc Van Gestel said further restrictions will be put in place for Saturday’s Rosehill meeting and some participants were warned after their behaviour last week in regards to social distancing. Tens of millions of dollars of prizemoney is up for grabs in Sydney during the next four weeks.
“People have got to get the message that we’re trying to save the industry and the livelihood of everyone that works in this industry,” Van Gestel said.
Van Gestel earlier said separating jockeys into regions is designed to minimise risk and give the racing industry the opportunity to remain operational through the pandemic.
From Friday, jockeys cannot take rides outside of their selected region – metropolitan, North (Gosford, Wyong, Newcastle, Hunter & North West, Mid North Coast and Northern Rivers), and South West (Kembla Grange, Hawkesbury, Southern Districts, South East, Central District and Western).
Sydney racing has a pool of 25 jockeys for the autumn carnival but other riders can be imported from outside the metropolitan region if required.
“One of the reasons we have segregated the riders is if someone does test positive in one of those regions, we could temporarily put a hold on that region or isolate a certain group of riders,’’ Van Gestel said.
“We would then take a risk assessment, get tests done and take all the necessary precautions.
“By limiting the number of riders in the metropolitan area, it provides less exposure for us.
“There is also the flexibility to ‘import’ jockeys from other regions.’’
Van Gestel said Sydney jockeys are practising self-isolation and limiting the number of times they ride trackwork. “The jockeys realise how important it is for their own health and for keeping racing doing so they are all trying to do the right thing,’’ Van Gestel said.
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WAR CHEST: QUEENSLAND ABANDONS WINTER CARNIVAL
Australia is one of the few jurisdictions still racing as the global pandemic worsens. Hong Kong, Japan and some areas in the United States are also still racing.
But Ireland, Canada and South Africa became the latest racing centres to shut down as those nations went into lockdown mode to try and prevent the virus from spreading.
● The Queensland winter racing carnival has been scrapped as the state moves to racing in five separate regions. The winter carnivals in all three codes — thoroughbreds, harness and greyhounds — have been abandoned for the first time in a century. The carnivals will be replaced with standard metropolitan race programming involving selected feature races.
● Inglis has offered breeders the option of selling their yearlings catalogued for the Australian Easter Yearling Sale through a digital auction from April 5-7, or to defer for a live auction on July 5, if restrictions implemented due to the coronavirus have eased.
V’LANDYS CONCEDES FINAL CALL ON RACING NOT HIS
Racing NSW chief executive Peter V’landys has vowed to do everything in his power to keep the sport in operation — but admits the final decision will be taken out of his hands.
With the nation moving closer to a total lockdown to combat the worsening coronavirus pandemic, V’landys concedes the racing industry must comply with federal and state government directives.
“We are in the hands of the Chief Medical Officer and the National Cabinet,’’ V’landys said.
“They meet twice a week and as you saw this week (with the NRL) they can make some dramatic changes.
“As I learned in the rugby league world, what happened the day before wasn’t relevant the next day.
“We will be doing everything in our power to continue racing but we have to be realistic about this and expect the worst.’’
V’landys, who is also Australian Rugby League Commission chairman, was left with no alternative but to suspend the NRL season indefinitely on expert medical advice.
But V’landys believes this decision doesn’t impact thoroughbred racing.
“These are a completely different set of circumstances,’’ he said.
“I believe racing is still safe to continue especially if we maintain the biosecurity measures we have in place at all our racecourses.
“We are being very cautious and abiding by all the government guidelines.’’
Sydney’s showpiece autumn racing carnival is scheduled to continue this Saturday with the Tancred Stakes meeting at Rosehill Gardens.
V’landys revealed increased biosecurity measures have been introduced limiting where jockeys can ride and banning interstate jockeys from riding in NSW.
NSW jockeys have been split into three regions — metropolitan, North (Gosford, Wyong, Newcastle, Hunter & North West, Mid North Coast and Northern Rivers), and South West (Kembla Grange, Hawkesbury, Southern Districts, South East, Central District and Western).
Jockey were required to select a region and cannot accept rides in another area from Friday. Sydney racing has a pool of 25 jockeys for the autumn carnival.
NSW Harness racing has been put on hold for up to three days pending the results of coronavirus tests on a person who attended a Penrith meeting last week.
Harness Racing NSW said it was monitoring the health of a participant who had direct contact with someone who has tested positive to COVID-19.
John Dumesny, chief executive of Harness Racing NSW, confirmed trots meeting have been suspended for three days until the results of tests are known.
“We will not place the health and safety of all participants at risk,’’ Dumesny said.
“If those test results come back negative, harness racing can resume immediately. We want to keep the code operating if possible.’’
Racing NSW remains hopeful thoroughbred race meeting will “continue to proceed under strict biosecurity risk management protocols in accordance with government and health authority advice.’’
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The NSW racing industry is a major employer and contributor to the NSW economy.
More than 30,000 people are employed in the NSW racing industry on a full-time basis, there are nearly that many again with part-time jobs, and generates significant income for the state government through wagering taxes.
Sydney is in the middle of its multimillion-dollar autumn carnival with two Group 1 races scheduled for Rosehill Gardens on Saturday before The Championships start at Royal Randwick on April with the Derby-Doncaster meeting.
The annual Inglis Easter Yearling Sale is also still going ahead with the help of online bidding as only necessary personnel and invited sellers and buyers allowed at the Inglis Riverside complex adjacent to Warwick Farm.
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Champion trainer Chris Waller said the racing industry showed on Golden Slipper Day that it can act responsibly and adhere to government protocols introduced because of the coronavirus outbreak.
“I think continuing on with racing and racing sensibly, is brilliant,’’ Waller said. “We put on a good show for people watching from outside here and we were very responsible.
“Even people at home, I’m sure they thought, ‘gee at least I’ve got something to look forward to today’.
“The next six weeks, there’s not going to be a lot happening. I’m not saying racing should be the only thing that should keep going on but if we can socially show we’re being responsible, we might be fine.”
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Farnan doesn’t need to complete the juvenile triple crown to secure champion two-year-old honours.
The brilliant youngster showed he is the best of his generation by overcoming a wide barrier and leading throughout for a commanding Golden Slipper win at Rosehill Gardens last Saturday.
Bott said on Sunday Farnan has come through the race in good order but is favouring sending the youngster for a spell rather than press on to the Group 1 ATC Sires Produce Stakes at Royal Randwick in two weeks.
“Before the Golden Slipper we were thinking this would be his last run for the autumn,’’ Bott said.
“A final decision hasn’t been made yet but I would say it is likely he will go for a spell.’’
Waterhouse, who now has a record seven Golden Slipper winners, has trained two triple crown winners with Dance Hero (2004) and Pierro (2012) taking out the Golden Slipper, Sires and Champagne Stakes.
But even though it is unlikely Farnan will be asked to extend his autumn campaign, he has already done enough to claim champion two-year-old awards with five wins from six starts including the Silver Slipper, Todman Stakes and Golden Slipper by dominant margins.
Farnan’s Golden Slipper win was a truly outstanding effort. Obviously, as leader, he was the fastest in the field over the first 600m, recording a sectional split of 35.88s, but then “negative split” the race, sprinting his final 600m in 34.27s.
The only Slipper runner who ran a faster closing 600m was Personal in 34.18s. She was back last and doing little “work” into the straight and was entitled to run on but even then finished only 12th, nearly eight lengths behind the winner.
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Gai Waterhouse showed her respect for training partner Adrian Bott by not attending the Golden Slipper.
Waterhouse has been convalescing from surgery over the last month while Bott has been steering the ship at Tulloch Lodge and she felt if Farnan won, her co-trainer deserved this moment.
It was a class act by Waterhouse but she still deserves recognition for her extraordinary effort to train seven Golden Slipper winners.
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The international raiders wasted no time making their presence felt in Sydney this autumn carnival with English trainer William Haggas preparing a big-race double from Addeybb in the Group 1 Ranvet Stakes and Young Rascal in the Group 3 Manion Cup,
Harry Eustace, the travelling foreman for the Haggas stable, said Addeybb and Young Rascal have thrived at the Canterbury quarantine, stabling and training facility.
“It is a first class facility,’’ Eustace said of Canterbury.
“A big thing for us is not trying to change the way you train the European horses coming down here and we're allowed on the racecourse proper every day. It's the most beautiful grass.
“We can get the work into them the way we want which is just a huge plus for us. It's massive, that has helped them thrive so much. "
Addeybb has now firmed into $3.50 favouritism for the $4 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) and Young Rascal is also at the top of betting at $3 for the $2 million Sydney Cup (3200m), both run at Royal Randwick on April 11.
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The return clash of outstanding fillies Funstar and Probabeel in the Group 1 $500,000 Vinery Stud Stakes is shaping as the highlight of the final day of the Golden Slipper Festival next Saturday.
They have clashed four times and run the quinella each time. Funstar leads the head-to-head clashes 3-1 after her win in the Phar Lap Stakes last start, avenging her loss to Probabeel in the Surround Stakes.
With Opie Bosson suspended for causing interference on Te Akau Shark in the George Ryder Stakes, Kerrin McEvoy will ride Probabeel in the Vinery Stud Stakes.
Bosson’s suspension period ends on April 2 and he will be free to ride Melody Belle in the $3 million Doncaster Mile two days later – provided he has a favourable outcome as stewards continue their inquiry into the jockey’s tactics on Te Akau Shark, who enduring a wide run in the Ryder before finishing third to Dreamforce.
Originally published as Coronavirus nightmare: Trainers Adrian Bott, Joe Pride and Matt Smith join jockey Tim Clark to discuss COVID-19
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