Racing set to return in May but mega day looms for thoroughbred code in October

Racing is set to return next month but when crowds are allowed back in is unknown.

New Zealand racing is set to return as early as May 11 but horse racing fans will have to wait a little longer.

Greyhound racing will be the first of the three codes to return to racing when Covid-19 restrictions ease, possibly back to Level 2, with up to nine dogs meetings a week starting in May before horse racing resumes with harness racing on May 29 and thoroughbred racing delayed until July 3.

Those dates, first broken in the Herald last week, have been confirmed as the ones being proposed in the Racing Industry Transition Agency's draft racing dates calendar for racing's relaunch.

The calendar was put together in conjunction with the three codes and while no code will be totally thrilled with the truncated calendar, the bosses of both thoroughbred and harness racing are being pragmatic about what lies ahead.

RITA will still take submissions from the codes about the radical structures which will see thoroughbred racing conduct 13 meetings at just six venues in July and harness racing hold 37 meetings at four venues (Alexandra Park, Cambridge, Addington and Invercargill) between May 29 and July 31, when the season ends.

Both horse code bosses realise their industries still need Government clearance for full training to resume, most importantly at the major training tracks, when the country returns to Level 3 next Tuesday.

The codes are already working on the strict protocols that will be put in place for training tracks and properties under Level 3 and will have to meet the standards of up to four different Government agencies before the return of training is confirmed.

But there is a degree of confidence that can be next Tuesday.

Racing bosses had been cautiously optimistic they could race at Level 3 but that looks set to be a moot point as the first horse racing meeting is not scheduled until 18 days after the country is expected to return to Level 2.

Then questions will be raised over whether race meetings are restricted to participants only or there are limited members of the public, for example owners, are allowed to attend.

The draft calendar will see both thoroughbreds and harness in the north return first in Waikato, with Te Rapa racing the first and third Saturdays in July with Pukekohe racing the other two.

Cambridge will host the first northern harness meeting on May 31, cruelly the day after they were supposed to host the $1.275 million Harness Jewels which has been canned.

They will then alternate with Alexandra Park, with both venues trailing at least one Wednesday night meeting to see how turnover performs on a night devoid of sport or many other racing options.

RITA's dates committee has also released the proposed calendar for the new season until mid-November that also seems far fewer tracks than normal being used.

One of the greatest changes is the transfer of both the 2000 Guineas (Riccarton to Te Rapa on November 7) and the 1000 Guineas (to Ellerslie on November 14). Those changes were signalled last week but there is still some angst about them in Canterbury were talk of a legal challenge has not yet subsided.

Group one racing will return, as usual, with the Hawkes Bay Triple Crown starting on September 19, through October 3 and culminating on October 17, which sees the running of the Livamol Classic.

The latter date could see a stunning double header in northern thoroughbred racing with the Great Northern Steeples and Hurdles scheduled to be run as part of four jumps races at Ellerslie the same day.

So New Zealand's biggest race of the spring (Livamol) and our greatest jumping race (Great Northern Steeples) could be run on the same day if the proposed calendar is adopted, as looks likely.

Auckland racing fans missing Ellerslie should set aside September 12 as that is when racing is set down to return to the iconic track while Alexandra Park's comeback date is Thursday June 4.