Sunday Derby preferred option

[Wandering Eyes]

New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) and the Auckland Racing Club (ARC) held discussions on Sunday morning regarding the impact of Saturday’s announcement that Auckland was moving back into Covid Alert Level 3 for seven days.

Of primary concern is the Gr.1 Vodafone New Zealand Derby (2400m), which was due to be run at Ellerslie on Saturday March 6.

Under the current Alert Level 3 status in Auckland and the remainder of the country at Alert Level 2, the meeting is unable to be held at Ellerslie on Saturday.

NZTR and the ARC’s preferred solution is to move the Derby meeting to Sunday March 7 in the hope that Auckland would move back to Alert Level 2 at the end of the seven-day period announced by the government.

“While this is the ‘best case’ scenario, it is by no means a certainty,” NZTR chief executive officer Bernard Saundry said.

“We are continuing to work through different options should indications be that Auckland will not come out of Alert Level 3 at that time.

“Our focus, and that of the ARC, is to ensure that the country’s blue riband event for our three-year-olds goes ahead. Two World Wars failed to see the New Zealand Derby stopped and we are determined that Covid won’t either.”

“There are a couple of options we are considering in conjunction with our stakeholders and we are all focused on making the best of the cards we have been dealt,” he said.

ARC chief executive officer Paul Wilcox agreed that the focus must be on making any change work for stakeholders.

“Our priority is to ensure horses and trainers do not have their planned programmes unduly impacted. In what is a tricky situation running the Derby on Sunday is the best course of action, we have plans in place should that not eventuate but we are hoping we do not need to activate these,” he said.

Should Level 3 restrictions be maintained in Auckland, Te Aroha is being considered as a backup venue for the Derby.

With the ARC unable to race on Saturday the meeting scheduled for Awapuni on Friday will move to the following day to provide two race meetings on Saturday. NZTR is also continuing to work with Hawke’s Bay Racing and Otago Racing Club to determine they have protocols in place for racing under Alert Level 2 for their meetings on March 3 and 6 respectively.  

AUDIO: Bernard Saundry

Andrew Bensley talks with New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing chief executive Bernard Saundry regarding the ramifications of Auckland being moved to Alert Level 3 due to a COVID-19 community outbreak and the remainder of the country operating under Alert Level 2.

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