South African Racing Awaits Approval to Resume

A decision on whether racing can return in South Africa from Friday remains in the balance as the National Horseracing Authority awaits a government response to its resumption plan. 

The NHA is expecting to receive a verdict in the next 48 hours after its submission was escalated to government ministers and the National Coronavirus Command Council the evening of April 26. 

Its application was sent April 22 to a number of leading officials, including president Cyril Ramaphosa, who announced last week his intention to ease lockdown restrictions from May 1. 

The NHA outlined its justifications for a resumption, arguing racing poses a negligible threat to public health, has the ability to preserve jobs in vulnerable sections of society, can help to restart the economy and would mitigate against the threat of an animal welfare crisis. 

"We understand the anxiousness, uncertainty and fluid nature of the circumstances," said NHA chief executive Vee Moodley. "The outcome will be disseminated as soon as we receive it. For now, our fate lies in the hands of the government."

In anticipation of this verdict, officials will carry out prerace administrative work for race meetings set to take place on the first three days and are drafting guidelines on racing behind closed doors.

The group 1 Horse Chestnut Stakes, the South African Derby, and South African Oaks are scheduled to be run this Saturday at Turffontein. 

There has been no racing in South Africa since March 27 and the racing authority has pushed back the racing program by a month, meaning two of its big races, the Vodacom Durban July and Gold Cup meeting, are set to take place July 25 and at the end of August.