Plan for 15,000-strong crowd at Sydney event that could fall on either side of ‘freedom day’

The organisers of a major Sydney event next month are pushing for 15,000 guests to be allowed to attend, whether or not NSW has begun reopening.

NSW’s crisis cabinet is mulling over a plan to allow The Everest horse race to go ahead with a crowd of up to 15,000 people regardless of whether the state has reached its 70 per cent double dose vaccination target.

The Everest is set for October 16 at Randwick and is likely to be Sydney’s first major event since the Delta variant lockdown began in June.

The Berejiklian government is planning to begin reopening Greater Sydney and any other locked down areas the Monday after NSW has vaccinated 70 per cent of residents aged over 16 – expected on October 18 or possibly October 11.

The Australian Turf Club has lodged an exemption for The Everest to go ahead with as many as 15,000 fully vaccinated guests, even if the race falls shy of an October 18 reopening date.

Kerrin McEvoy on Classique Legend wins race 7 at the TAB Everest event at Royal Randwick Racecourse on October last year. Picture: Hanna Lassen/Getty Images for Australian Turf Club

It’s understood the plan will include other Covid-19 safety measures including social distancing.

If the event goes ahead, it will mean a crowd three times that of the cap on racecourses outlined in the government’s freedom roadmap at 70 per cent vaccination, which limits major outdoor facilities to 5000 people at a time.

NSW Jobs and Tourism Minister Stuart Ayres presented the plan to crisis cabinet on Wednesday night, where the proposal has been contentious among some of the other ministers.

The NSW government is yet to make a decision on the exemption request.

Crowds gathered at the 2020 Everest race, subject to social distancing rules and density limits. Picture: David Swift

Deputy Premier John Barilaro has said any events running during the initial stages of NSW reopening would be subject to the cap on guests.

“If the state has opened under the 70 per cent road map, the capacity at the moment is 5000 people so it would have to be under that,” he told reporters on Thursday.

“There are processes for exemptions, but I’ve got to be honest I don’t think that would be appropriate at very early stage in the 70 per cent road map.

“Those organisers at The Everest will have to take into account that they may be running The Everest under today’s conditions.”

The Everest is Australia’s richest turf race and the main event of Sydney’s spring racing carnival.

The Australian Turf Club has been contacted for comment.