Racing NSW eases border ban on racehorses from Victoria
Riverina trainers have welcomed Racing NSW’s decision to allow racehorses from Victoria to cross the border again with permits and adherence of strict biosecurity guidelines.
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The scaling back of NSW border restrictions on the movement of horses from Victoria is a welcome boost for battling Riverina trainers in postcode limbo.
Trainers Mick Cornish and Donna Gaskin, who lived in Moama, NSW but run a boutique stable in Echuca, Victoria, will now be able to target country NSW races again, which helps to keep the business afloat.
Racing NSW announced on Wednesday racehorses currently outside of the greater Melbourne area could be transported across the border with a permit and adherence to strict biosecurity protocols.
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“It is a great relief for us, if we can start moving our horses about and going to those weaker (racing) venues (in NSW) would be a great advantage,” Cornish said.
“It gives us a few more options for the owners … trying to keep their horses in work knowing the circumstances the poor buggers are in having lost their jobs.
“We try and help them out as much as we can and that’s where NSW and those weaker races come into play for them to create some turnover.”
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Being able to border hop allows country trainers to find suitable races for horses without running into the big city stables that tend to bleed into provincial Victorian meetings after a soft kill and prizemoney collect.
Under the new policy, horses travelling from Victoria must spend a minimum 48 hours at a spelling or pre-training property in NSW prior to being taken to a training stable or racecourse.
The quarantine property must not be located on a racecourse or where horses are in training and being transported directly to a race meeting.
The relaxation of border controls is the result of a continued reduction in daily new cases of coronavirus in Victoria and the stabilisation of the infection rate.
“It’s been a long haul for a lot of trainers,” Cornish said.
It’s deadset Christmas Day here!!
— mitchellbeer (@beermitchell) August 26, 2020
Thank you to all our amazing owners for sticking buy us in this time.
Can’t wait for them to be back!!
YES!!!
Albury trainer Mitch Beer is another to benefit greatly from the border ban relaxation.
Beer had several horses stranded in Victoria, either in pre-training or spelling, when NSW closed its border on July 6.
“It’s dead set Christmas Day here!!” Beer posted on Twitter moments after the Racing NSW announcement. “Thank you to all our amazing owners for sticking buy (sic) us in this time.
“Can’t wait for them to be back!! YES!!!”