Horse racing a sport that is loved by many. And as it is loved by many, there are a number of people who love to place bets in the sport. As other sports and business close down due to the covid- 19 out break in Australia, horse racing is set to continue.
Therefore Aussies will have more than just online casino game to place bets on as they can place live online bets on horse racing.
Horse Racing Set To Continue
Horse racing in Australia is set to continue. They said the horse racing events will go on as planned, this is unless the government stops them. Horse racing, greyhound racing and harness are part of the few sports that are set to go despite the self-isolation period when most sports have postponed events.
Most of the sports leagues in Australia have postponed their events indefinitely. Some of the major leagues that have postponed events include the NRL, the A-League and the AFL. While the Tokyo Olympics have been postponed to 2021.
Covid-19 Scare
Despite the fact that horse and harness racing are set to go on, this does not mean than no safety measures are being taken.
A steward with harness racing New South Wales needed to be tested after having attended a meeting with the drivers and trainers. The steward results show that they are not infected, this then gave harness racing a green light to proceed as planned.
In Victoria, flat racing is also set to continue as planned. However, there was a mild scare when Mark Zahra caught a flight with a person who tested positive for covi-19. Fortunately, Zahra tested negative as well as the two NSW jockeys who were with him.
With the test results being negative, the racing will continue as planned.
The Governments Take on Horse Racing
As most business that were deemed non essential have closed their doors s governments order, there has been a few question on whether horse racing is an essential activity. According to Giles Thompson, thousands of people in Victoria live on horse racing and the events that it has. As such, to them, it is an essential sport as it is the live hood of thousands.
Thompson stated that horse racing in Victoria supports 25 000 direct an indirect jobs in Victoria alone. Nationwide Australian statistics show that gorse racing employees at least 11 400. That is why the event have to go on as planned.
On the other side, the Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews will announce stage three lockdowns soon. He has recently emphasized on the importance of people staying home at all time. Andrews indicated at some point that the lockdown may include everything that is not an essential service. However, on the horse racing issue, the government in Victoria refused to comment.
Conclusion
A lot has been turned upside down du to the covid-19 virus. Amidst, all the confusion, horse racing is trying to be as normal as possible. By so doing, they are giving all the Aussies hope that things will be normal soon. At the same time, they are giving everyone who is under self-isolation something to look forward to.
Horse Racing FAQs
[accordiongroup id=”693″][accordion group=”693″ title=”Will horse racing events go on as planned?” active=”true”]Yes, horse racing in Victoria is set to go on as planned. All the events will follow the set schedule. However they stated that should the government prohibit them to do so, they will be postponed.[/accordion][accordion group=”693″ title=”Other than horse racing what other sports are still on?” active=””]So far, other than horses racing, greyhound and harness racing event are set scheduled to go on as planned.[/accordion][accordion group=”693″ title=”Will I be able to place horse racing bets?” active=””]The issue of placing racing bets has not been finalized yet. However, all things being well, everything should be able go on as normal.[/accordion][accordion group=”693″ title=”Can I go and watch the races live?” active=””]No, no spectators will be allowed at the events. This is because everyone will be safer at home due to the covid-19 virus. However, the events will be broadcasted live to make sure that you don’t miss anything.[/accordion][accordion group=”693″ title=”Will the jockeys be safe?” active=””]Yes, the jockeys will be safe. Before a race all the jockeys will be tested and all the safety measures will be put in place to make sure that everything runs smoothly.[/accordion][/accordiongroup]