The family behind Jamie Richards. The family behind Jamie Richards. Video / Love Racing NZ
The return of jumps racing to Ellerslie won't mean the return of crowds but boss Paul Wilcox is hoping Saturday's meeting is the last time such measures have to be enforced.
Ellerslie holds only its second meeting since March on Saturday and sees hurdle and steeplechase racing return as Auckland Racing Club builds up to a later Great Northern carnival next month.
"Our greatest jumping race will be held later on October 17 which now shapes as one of the busiest major racing days ever in this part of the world as the Caulfield Cup (Melbourne), Everest (Sydney) and Livamol (Hastings) are also all held that day, not to mention the general election," Wilcox said.
Wilcox, Ellerslie chief executive, is hoping by then racing can be open to not only owners but the general public, even though that won't be the case this weekend.
"This Saturday will be working raceday personnel only so no public or owners sadly," said Wilcox.
"At level 2.5 in Auckland that makes sense and the most important thing is to keep the racing going.
"But we are hoping, like everybody else, for an easing of restrictions soon and would love to have the public back here for our next week on September 26 and of course after that the Great Northern carnival."
Ellerslie boss Paul Wilcox. Photo / Photosport
If Auckland was still at something like its current restrictions next month Wilcox and his team will have provision for different areas of Ellerslie to host 100 people each, at least giving owners a chance to see one of Ellerslie's most spectacular races.
And they are planning for how Ellerslie would deal with a return to Level 2.5 or 3 at a busier time of the season.
"Obviously we have some huge carnivals and we are planning for them to go ahead as normal but if restrictions came back into play we have had discussions about how we would react," says Wilcox.
"Because of people having those concerns I can see people booking some of their hospitality packages later to be safe but we also expect there to be some real rushes on those close to the main race days."
Even with the jumpers racing, Saturday's meeting has some class entries, with last season's group one winners Sherwood Forest (Vodafone Derby) and Tiptronic nominated, as well as Derby runner-up Two Illicit.
Ellerslie holds only its second meeting since March this Saturday. Photo / Photosport
Meanwhile, the New Zealand-trained entries for the A$8 million Melbourne Cup all find themselves well in at the weights for the great race.
The Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman-trained pair of Quick Thinker and The Chosen One have both been given 53.5kg for the Cup, while sometimes NZ-trained Sydney Cup winner Etah James has been given 52.5kg.
Verry Elleegant, the Kiwi-bred mare still part-owned here, has been allocated 55kg in both the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups.
* The Pukekohe meeting scheduled for September 19 has been moved to Ruakaka due to concerns over how a section of the Pukekohe Park surface is handling wet weather.
