Racegoers in Scotland may require vaccination certificates under new plans

Racegoers attending Scotland’s biggest race meetings may be required to prove they have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 by presenting a vaccine certificate to gain entrance to the events, under plans announced by the Scottish government.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon revealed the intention to bring in the requirement for people going to certain venues deemed to be "higher risk", with a debate and vote on the proposal set to take place next week.

Should the plans be implemented, vaccination certificates would be required for live outdoor events with more than 4,000 people or any event with more than 10,000 people, which has the potential to impact the major meetings in Scotland over the coming months.

The Scottish government has invited Scottish Racing, which represents the country’s five racecourses, and other stakeholders to meet with the government’s Certification Team in the coming days to discuss how the scheme might operate.

Officials at Scottish Racing and individual racecourses believe the vaccination certificate requirement would only kick in for fixtures where a crowd of more than 4,000 was expected, rather than for all meetings.

Delly Innes, general manager at Scottish Racing, said: “We are still awaiting the full proposals which have yet to be published, debated and then voted on. We are also awaiting confirmation as to when the scheme will be implemented.”

The next significant meeting in Scotland is the Virgin Bet Ayr Gold Cup fixture from September 16-18, although a spokesman for the racecourse did not expect any rules on vaccination certificates to be implemented prior to the meeting taking place.

Explaining the reasons for the use of vaccination certificates, Sturgeon said: “We believe that a limited use of vaccine certification in certain higher risk settings could help us to keep businesses open and prevent any further restrictions as we head into autumn and winter.

Nicola Sturgeon: 'This is a significant step forward and not a decision we have taken lightly'Credit: Stu Forster (Getty Images)

“They will be for use in very limited settings and never for public services such as transport, hospitals and education. This is a significant step forward and not a decision we have taken lightly but it is in line with certification in other European countries.”

The use of vaccination certificates is not in place for racegoers attending tracks in England or Wales, although the Racecourse Association has previously stated it remains in contact with government should there be any changes to Covid guidance.

Face coverings also remain necessary in indoor settings at Scottish courses and customers are required to fill in their details for test and trace purposes.

Health passes have been in place in France, with the month-long Deauville meeting the first extended period when racegoers have had to provide one in order to gain access to the track.

During this time crowds were up 11 per cent per fixture compared to 2020, indicating the certification requirement did not act as a deterrent to attend the races.

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