Melbourne Cup 2020: Victoria Racing Club plans bumper Cup carnival with or without crowds
Victoria Racing Club opens up on the potential of crowds for the 2020 Melbourne Cup Carnival and how ticket allocations — if possible — might be shared between owners, members, sponsors and the general public.
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Victoria Racing Club has promised a bumper 2020 Melbourne Cup Carnival — with or without crowds at Flemington.
Chief executive Neil Wilson has revealed scenarios for a “large crowd format” could be executed within eight weeks of October 31 — Derby Day.
Flemington hosted 276,186 people across the four-day carnival last year.
The Melbourne Cup drew a crowd of 81,408 — the lowest since Doriemus won in 1995.
“There will be shorter lead times and that will obviously have an impact on what we do in the first week of November but we’ve still got time,” Wilson said.
“The next six weeks and how we come out of that will guide us to the scenarios not possible.
“100,000 people on Cup Day is probably looking less likely but we can still have a very substantial crowd if we’re able to come out of (lockdown).
“We‘ll be guided by the State Government and calibrate our on-course expectations accordingly.“
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A crowd-free Cup Carnival has not spooked the VRC either, citing the success of the 2020 Royal Ascot Carnival last month, which was contested behind closed doors.
A “heightened” digital and broadcast experience, including Gogglebox-type fan cams and greater access of behind-the-scenes horse areas like the pre-parade ring is part of an “optimistic nirvana”.
“The whole of Australia celebrates the Melbourne Cup (and) how do we bring that to life a lot more, it’s something we can get on with,” Wilson said.
“The Melbourne Cup is the ‘People’s Cup’ and we want to make sure we don’t lose sight of the community and having them involved.
“In a scenario, for example, if there were 15,000 people we could make that look very good in terms of the broadcast.
“Our best outcome is as many people as we can have, close to what we’ve had before, plus the broadcast being better than it might’ve been.”
But Wilson rejected claims the club was putting pressure on the State Government to forecast future COVID-19 restrictions as “completely wrong”.
“Any suggestions of us laying that down as a demand is just ridiculous,” Wilson said.
“We‘re working with them and we’re completely respectful of the most important thing, the health of the population.”
Under normal circumstances, the layout and construction of temporary bars and marquees starts in July.
“We’re building scenarios and one will pop out once we know where we’re at, and we’re trying to make the lead-up for any of the scenarios as close to the week as we can,” Wilson said.
“We’re keeping options open (on crowds), obviously going backwards with this range of restrictions puts some questions marks … but we haven’t discounted anything yet.”
A balance of racehorse owners, VRC members and sponsors will be at the top of the queue for Cup Carnival tickets, should coronavirus infections crash and the crowd restrictions ease.
The size of Flemington racecourse – indoor areas and out – allows the VRC to adjust “levers and dials” for crowd entry, exits and transport within all biosecurity protocols.
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Lindsay Park’s premiership-winning training partnership is expected to be dissolved on Thursday, ahead of David Hayes’ licensing by the Hong Kong Jockey Club next week.
Marking the end of another successful chapter in the famed training operation, Racing Victoria is considering an application from Lindsay Park which, if approved, would end the current partnership of David Hayes, Tom Dabernig and Ben Hayes.
The trio’s five runners at Sale on Thursday almost certainly will be the last under the current set-up with David Hayes unable to hold licenses in both Hong Kong and Australia.
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RV’s licensing panel is expected to approve an application for Dabernig and Ben Hayes’ licenses to be upgraded.
Under the new training model, Dabernig – David Hayes’ nephew – will become the racing dynasty’s fifth head trainer.
Colin Hayes, David Hayes, Peter Hayes and Tony McEvoy are the only others to have helmed the decorated stable.
David Hayes formed a training partnership with Dabernig in 2014. The alliance expanded in 2016 to include Hayes’ eldest son, Ben.
If RV approves the change in partnership, it will come into effect for Friday’s Pakenham meeting under the Dabernig-Ben Hayes banner.
Lindsay Park currently leads Ciaron Maher and David Eustace 68-59 as it chases a 27th Victorian metropolitan trainers’ premiership.
With the transfer of Sunday’s Ballarat meeting to The Valley, there are five city fixtures left before the end of the season on July 31.
Lindsay Park claimed last season’s metro premiership, ending disqualified trainer Darren Weir’s reign.