Racing’s plea turned down

The National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC) has turned down the request from the National Horseracing Authority (NHA) for racing to restart with immediate effect.

NHA chief executive Vee Moodley said the NCCC had ruled that government’s priority at Level 4 is “on organised projects/events that are focused on those related to the provision of food, water and sanitisation”.

The NHA put in a submission last month to the department of agriculture, forestry and fisheries (Daff) and the department of trade and industry (DTI) for racing to resume on the basis that the horseracing industry covers multiple sectors.

The submissions intended to demonstrate the industry’s commitment and alignment to government’s interventions in an attempt to preserve lives, flatten the curve, protect jobs and also stimulate the racing economy.

“Subsequently, our submissions were forwarded to the department of cooperative governance and traditional affairs [Cogta] and thereafter the NCCC,” said Moodley.

The NCCC, however, deemed racing not to be an essential service.

The NHA submitted an addendum to the submissions, asserting racing was low risk as it was a noncontact event with high economic value.

It argued racing events were a critical element in the supply chain and a related agricultural service.

The NCCC took the addendum into consideration, as well as other industry stakeholders’ submissions, and it was decided racing could not be separated from gambling activities like casinos, and these are currently not included under Level 4.

A clarification statement was then submitted to the NCCC which maintained that the breeding (agricultural) sector’s core purpose, its risks and opportunities, business model, performance, sustainable development and the actual horse race were “inseparable elements of the value-creation process”.

Having considered the regulations from an agricultural perspective and taking into account the weight of all other submissions from stakeholders, the NCCC determined racing would not be provided for under agriculture Level 4, except from an animal care perspective.

As a result, the race meetings scheduled for Greyville today and Turffontein tomorrow have been abandoned. All entries and declarations have been suspended until further notice from the Racing Operators.

Moodley added that NHA was committed to continue engagement with government and shall send follow up submissions for racings inclusion at the Lockdown Level 3 announcement.