Racing reined in until return to Covid-19 alert level 3

New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing boss Bernard Saundry. Photo / Supplied

Racing bosses have moved to negate the effects of the Covid lockdown on the industry but still face a wait to learn if their efforts are in vain.

Horse and dog racing around the country is cancelled at level 4 but racing can resume with strict protocols and only essential racing staff allowed on course at level 3.

So if regions outside Auckland and Coromandel return to level 3 or better by midnight tomorrow, racing can start up again on Saturday.

"That is what we are planning for and obviously all we can do at this stage is plan for them to go ahead," said New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing boss Bernard Saundry.

"But we, like so many other people in the country, are in a very fluid situation and if the Government doesn't drop some regions back to level 3 we won't be racing this weekend or until they do."

Saundry said with level 4 being the strictest in New Zealand and almost all non-essential businesses closed, NZTR will not be lobbying to race at that level.

"We are aware some people are asking why they can race on in Australia in lockdowns and we have to halt here but they are different alert levels and we have to respect that."

NZTR has replaced Saturday's meeting scheduled for Ruakaka with one on the Cambridge synthetic track and attracted 12 races for what will be, if it goes ahead, New Zealand's first Saturday meeting on the synthetic track.

The highlight will be the return of NZ Derby winner Sherwood Forest in the 1300m open handicap.

"It is great to be able to have a replacement meeting for Ruakaka, which we simply couldn't get people to and back home because Auckland will be at level 4.

"So Cambridge and New Plymouth are set to race Saturday and Rotorua on Sunday if the alert levels in those areas drop," said Saundry.

Harness Racing New Zealand has moved the meeting which was to have been at Addington on Friday night to Sunday and if it is able to go ahead it will be run in conjunction with Ashburton TC meeting also set for Sunday, to make 17 races there.

Again, that is subject to Christchurch not being at level 4.

Greyhound Racing New Zealand has replaced the Manukau meeting which was to be on Sunday with a meeting at Cambridge the same day for Waikato-trained dogs while Monday's meeting at Palmerston North will have its fields redrawn to exclude dogs trained outside the area to reduce travelling.

All three codes, the connections of the horses and dogs and undoubtedly some bored punters await the possible returns to level 3 or better being confirmed by the Government tomorrow in the hope of having some racing to watch on the weekend.

If that doesn't happen there will at least be Kiwi interest in Saturday's Randwick meeting which sees the return of Verry Elleegant in the Winx Stakes while Matamata speed freak Entriviere is back in Sydney but has drawn the extreme outside in a capacity field over 1200m.