The ongoing Covid-19 crisis has created turmoil in many industries, and the world of horse racing has been particularly hard hit. But recent news suggests that racing could soon be back in operation. This is because South Africa’s jockeys will soon be allowed to travel thanks to a gradual lifting in travel restrictions. Such news is in line with the lightening of the Level 2 lockdown restrictions.
The announcement regarding the easing of travel restrictions was made last week by president Cyril Ramaphosa. This means that the nation’s jockeys will no longer be stopped in terms of travelling the nation to take part in horse racing meetings.
But it’s not just jockeys who will benefit from the easing of social distancing measures. The news has also been greeted by racing organisers. This is because they will now be able to determine the timing of the final race of the day. However, there will still be restrictions that state that the last race cannot take place after 9.30pm.
Racing fans can also look forward to the number of featured runners going back to normal. This means that racing enthusiasts should be able visit a bookmaker featured at a resource like www.horsebetting.com and enjoy betting on a similar amount of horses as before the pandemic struck.
Such measures will be widely greeted by the racing community that feared the knock-on effects that travelling restrictions would have for the sport. However, the horse racing industry is still a long way off being back to normal.
The National Horseracing Authority has maintained a number of procedures that are in place to stop the virus returning among the racing community. These include strict protocols over how owners are allowed to enter each horse into a race. As a result, all participants will be subject to a range of checks to ensure that they don’t have any symptoms of the Covid-19 virus.
Many of the regulations will require racehorse owners, jockeys and trainers to self-regulate in terms of the risk that they are exposed to. This includes following strict procedures regarding social distancing and personal hygiene.
It is widely believed that the Covid-19 virus has peaked in South Africa. However, other nations in Europe are fearing that there could be a second wave of infections after an easing of travel restrictions.
Such issues have meant that the National Horseracing Authority is keen to show that it can safely reintroduce the sport without putting participants at risk. Future race meetings will require jockeys and racing staff to continue with health precautions, and events will be strictly monitored.
Ramaphosa has warned citizens that the move to Level 2 restrictions is not a free-for-all, and there is always the risk that more severe measures could be reintroduced. Over 11,000 people in South Africa have died from the pandemic, and there are still many who believe that it’s too early to lift the restrictions.
However, the sporting world is already starting to wake up to the ‘new normal’ of having to host events behind closed doors. The move to Level 2 restrictions has given hope that a domestic rugby tournament could take place in South Africa as soon as the middle of September. While this would take place in empty stadiums, it would be a massive boost for the sport.
Horse racing has also been successfully reintroduced in many parts of Europe including England, France and Ireland. While the lack of crowds may have dulled the excitement of the races, it provides hope that the sport can still survive in these worrying times.
