pete Posted February 27, 2021 Share Posted February 27, 2021 COVID-19 UPDATE As of 6.00am on Sunday 28 February 2021, Ellerslie Racecourse is closed due to the current alert level in Auckland. We are working through what this means for the upcoming Auckland Cup Week. Please keep checking this website for current information, or sign up below to be the first to hear as updates come to hand. If you have purchased tickets to an event that is likely to be affected by this closure, our hospitality team will be in touch in due course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mardigras Posted February 27, 2021 Share Posted February 27, 2021 A whole year practically to sort out better ways. And what have they come up with. Nothing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete Posted February 27, 2021 Author Share Posted February 27, 2021 Be interesting to see what happens. If they move to Te Rapa all the Auckland and Northland trained horses would need exemptions to get there and would also have to sit waiting to pass through the roadblock. I cannot articulate how pissed off I am with this government. They told us a lie about being first in the queue for vaccinations. Totally incompetent. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete Posted February 28, 2021 Author Share Posted February 28, 2021 New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) and the Auckland Racing Club (ARC) held discussions this morning regarding the impact of last night's announcement that Auckland was moving back into Covid Alert Level 3 for seven days. Of primary concern to the racing industry is the Group One Vodafone New Zealand Derby, which was due to be run at Ellerslie on Saturday, 6 March. Under the current status with Auckland at Alert Level 3 and the remainder of the country at Alert Level 2 the meeting is unable to be held at Ellerslie on that day. NZTR and the ARC's preferred solution is to move the Vodafone New Zealand Derby meeting to Sunday, 7 March 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 CEO 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 CEO 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. With the ARC unable to race on Saturday 6 March the meeting scheduled for Awapuni on Friday, 5 March will move to the following day to provide two race meetings on Saturday. NZTR is also continuing to work with Hawke’s Bay Racing Incorporated (3 March) and Otago RC (6 March) to determine they have protocols in place for racing under Alert Level 2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hesi Posted February 28, 2021 Share Posted February 28, 2021 1 hour ago, pete said: New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) and the Auckland Racing Club (ARC) held discussions this morning regarding the impact of last night's announcement that Auckland was moving back into Covid Alert Level 3 for seven days. Of primary concern to the racing industry is the Group One Vodafone New Zealand Derby, which was due to be run at Ellerslie on Saturday, 6 March. Under the current status with Auckland at Alert Level 3 and the remainder of the country at Alert Level 2 the meeting is unable to be held at Ellerslie on that day.NZTR and the ARC's preferred solution is to move the Vodafone New Zealand Derby meeting to Sunday, 7 March 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 CEO 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 CEO 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. With the ARC unable to race on Saturday 6 March the meeting scheduled for Awapuni on Friday, 5 March will move to the following day to provide two race meetings on Saturday. NZTR is also continuing to work with Hawke’s Bay Racing Incorporated (3 March) and Otago RC (6 March) to determine they have protocols in place for racing under Alert Level 2. The calendar on NZTR already has it penciled in for 7 March?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete Posted February 28, 2021 Author Share Posted February 28, 2021 7 minutes ago, Hesi said: The calendar on NZTR already has it penciled in for 7 March?? Well yes that it what the article said as well. I don't think it will happen. Dear Leader will spin this out longer this time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ngakonui grass Posted February 28, 2021 Share Posted February 28, 2021 6 hours ago, pete said: Be interesting to see what happens. If they move to Te Rapa all the Auckland and Northland trained horses would need exemptions to get there and would also have to sit waiting to pass through the roadblock. I cannot articulate how pissed off I am with this government. They told us a lie about being first in the queue for vaccinations. Totally incompetent. But she did nod,smile and flick her head while telling us about the lockdown.Those movements alone captured voters hearts. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete Posted February 28, 2021 Author Share Posted February 28, 2021 14 minutes ago, ngakonui grass said: But she did nod,smile and flick her head while telling us about the lockdown.Those movements alone captured voters hearts. You're forgetting frowny face. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ngakonui grass Posted February 28, 2021 Share Posted February 28, 2021 1 hour ago, pete said: You're forgetting frowny face. And what a frown it was. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hesi Posted March 1, 2021 Share Posted March 1, 2021 Why could they not run the Derby, along with several of the other feature races as a Super Raceday March 13 at Ellerslie, maybe 14-15 races. Okay, they are holding out for this Sunday, but surely that beats hair brained options like running the Derby at Te Rapa, Te Aroha or Hastings Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blind Squirrel Posted March 1, 2021 Share Posted March 1, 2021 What happens if Auckland stays in Lockdown 3 for another week (as I strongly suspect it could- especially if another community case or 2 pop in which is totally in the realms of possibility).?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete Posted March 5, 2021 Author Share Posted March 5, 2021 Looks like it Ellerslie on Sunday thankfully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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