Stay in one enclosure with face masks advised: how Goodwood's pilot will work

Racegoers at Glorious Goodwood’s pilot meeting for crowds returning to sporting events will be restricted to one of eight enclosures as track officials revealed the details of in-depth plans for the landmark raceday on August 1.

There will be no general public attending with around 4,000 members and 1,000 others, including stable staff, owners and trainers, racing officials, media and very limited hospitality – 100 rather than the normal 4,000 – at the West Sussex track.

Each enclosure will have toilet facilities, bars and food outlets although racegoers will not be able to mix between different enclosures, with some having access to parade ring viewing but not trackside viewing and vice versa.

Members attending will be advised to wear face masks rather than it being compulsory.

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Adam Waterworth, Goodwood’s managing director, said: “There will be eight enclosures as we’re going to split the racecourse into much smaller areas with around 400-600 people in each. That’s how we’ll manage the social distancing and you will not be allowed to go from one enclosure to another.

“If you’re in one of the enclosures behind the stand you won’t be able to go to the front of the stand to view the racing. You would have parade ring viewing and we’ll have big screens in place so that people in those areas can watch the racing from their enclosure.

“We know there’s plenty of room for social distancing and we want to take away the normal pinch points, so not everyone will have access to parade ring viewing and the rails and stands as traditionally that’s where a lot of people would want to go.

“By limiting whereabouts people can go means we won’t get people congregating in these areas. We’re confident we’ll be complying with social distancing but it does mean it’s quite complicated.”

On the wearing of face masks, Waterworth added: “It will be purely advisory for racegoers to wear face masks. It’s all outdoor and in most enclosures there’s not the ability to go inside. We’re adopting the same policy to the current one at racecourses, where face masks only have to be worn in the parade ring.”

Trundle Hill: area will be monitored by track officialsCredit: Edward Whitaker

The Goodwood Estate-owned Trundle Hill, which has a public footpath on the land, will be open to the public but racecourse officials will be monitoring numbers on the area that overlooks the track and winning line.

There will be no bookmakers on Trundle Hill but it is expected the Tote and a limited amount of bookmakers – numbers yet to be confirmed – will be operating at the pilot event, subject to BHA approval.

Waterworth said: “We don’t want to encourage people up Trundle Hill and we’ll have to manage it, but it will be open. It’s a lovely spot and people do enjoy going up there but we have to make sure we don’t end up with lots of people there.

“It will be lightly managed, so people can go up there and we won’t stop them doing so but we will be monitoring it. If it gets too busy then we’ll have to stop people going up there.”

Waterworth is thrilled to stage the test event at the track, and despite admitting to the pressure it brings, believes it is a “great endorsement” of those working at the course.

He said: “We’re delighted to be hosting the pilot event – there’s a bit of nerves and pressure with it but most of all I feel pretty chuffed as it’s a great endorsement of the team. They’ve done a great amount of work on it.

“We’ve been working on various plans, most of which haven’t come to fruition, which has been a regular theme this year, so to do lots of work on a plan that we’re going to deliver is quite nice. It’s a feather in the cap of our team to be trusted with this from an industry and DCMS point of view. It’s a privilege.”

Goodwood: around 4,000 members will attend the pilot eventCredit: Edward Whitaker

RCA chief executive David Armstrong expects the raceday will provide a “different feeling” but insists it will observe all social distancing rules.

Armstrong said: “People will be reasonably spread out. But there will be food and beverage and bookmakers for them and there will be hospitality for people who choose to purchase it. In many ways I hope it will feel very much like a normal raceday."

On plans for on-course bookmakers, he added: “We're working through how that’s going to work because there are certain restrictions about the handling of cash, which you will have seen in other sectors. So there’s a plan coming together on how we're going to do that but there will certainly be on-course betting facilities of some sort."

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