Shutdown fears alleviated as Irish racing continues - but owners excluded again

Fears that Irish racing was on the verge of another shutdown have been alleviated after the government emphatically rejected the recommendation of the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) to impose Level 5 lockdown restrictions across the entire country.

Instead, Level 3 restrictions will be introduced nationwide, which means that racing will be able to continue behind closed doors but once again without owners.

The escalation is expected to be implemented as of Wednesday after the cabinet signed off on the advice on Monday evening.

In contrast to Level 2, which currently permits 200 spectators at venues that can cater for 5,000 people, at Level 3 there is no allowance for anyone other than those considered essential to holding a race meeting, which means owners will once again be excluded.

Since September 21, two individuals per listed owner had been permitted back on racecourses on a given day. That concession has lasted just over a fortnight, although, given the predicament that NPHET raised on Sunday night, it feels like a small victory.

Horse Racing Ireland chief executive Brian Kavanagh suggested it was a palatable outcome in the circumstances. Speaking ahead of the cabinet's confirmation of the move, he said: "From what I understand it is Level 3, which allows us to continue racing but it goes back behind closed doors. It's better than Level 5 – put it that way – so there's a sigh of relief."

Kavanagh, who said that he had watched Sunday night's news with some "trepidation", added: "The important thing is to be able to keep racing. We don't know when the change will come in yet so we have to find out a bit more about it. Let's see what emerges.

"It's unfortunate from the owners' perspective, but hopefully the national picture will improve and we can get back to where we were. We have a template now and we have been advancing what racecourses were able to offer for owners and so on, so it was a start."

Level 5 is the most extreme option on the Living with Covid-19 roadmap that was published by the government on September 15.

The government's chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan, who had been on temporary leave since July and was due to return to work on Monday, called an emergency meeting of NPHET on Sunday.

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It subsequently emerged that NPHET had recommended the entire country be placed on Level 5, which is the only phase in which racing isn't specifically referenced as being allowed to continue in some shape or form.

Crucially, by electing for Level 3 instead of either of the more extreme options, the government has also ensured that betting shops will remain open. They would be forced to shut under the terms of Level 4 and Level 5.

The cabinet had been due to convene on Tuesday, but an emergency meeting was called for Monday evening, after the three coalition leaders, Taoiseach Micheal Martin, Tanaiste Leo Varadkar and Green Party leader Eamon Ryan, met with Dr Holohan in the afternoon.

Leo Varadkar visits Kilbeggan in 2017Credit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

One of the Nphet recommendations was that there should be stricter and more rigorous policing of the rules, and that enhanced enforcement will now be imperative.

Anger and confusion had been palpable on social media since the details of NPHET's advice for the entire country to be placed in another lockdown emerged, so the news prompted a collective sigh of relief both within racing and nationally.

On Saturday, 613 new coronavirus cases were reported in Ireland, the highest number since April, followed by 364 cases on Sunday and 518 on Monday. The number of deaths remains low – there were none reported on Monday – while on Saturday there were 134 confirmed cases in hospital, with 21 of those patients in ICU.

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