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By Mark Brassel

Manning Valley Race Club will be one of the first NSW race clubs to spring from the starting gates following tomorrow’s declaration of ‘Freedom Day’.

The club will be staging its Bakewell Haulage Krambach Cup Day on Friday and will finally be able to open its gates and host a crowd.

As part of the new freedoms, racecourses will be permitted to welcome back owners and patrons that are fully vaccinated.

“We have a lot of work to do, putting things in place, but we are certainly looking forward to welcoming people back to Taree Racecourse,” said MVRC’s executive officer, Helen Sinclair.

“The track has just undergone a renovation and is in tip-top shape for the meeting.”

At Friday’s eight-race Taree card, MVRC will be offering $202,000 in prizemoney featuring the $34,000 Krambach Cup (1600m).

The Cup is supported by the $24,000 Krambach Sprint (12500m) and $24,000 Haymans Electrical Taree Benchmark 58 Handicap (1000m).

Scone trainer Jeremy Gask has nominated his tough performer Weather Channel for the Krambach Cup as well as Albert’s No Pussy in the Krambach Sprint and Eleazar in the Haymans Electrical BM58 Handicap.

Weather Channel showed a return to form last start with a closing fourth to Star Sparks at Gosford (1600m) on Thursday when supported from $31 into $21.

From tomorrow, NSW race clubs will be responsible for ensuring all patrons (other than essential personnel) are fully vaccinated prior to attending or entering the racecourse and crowds are restricted to 1 person per 4 square metres.

A maximum of 5000 patrons will be required to adhere to mandatory mask wearing for indoor spaces and all other NSW Government Public Heath Order requirements.

Essential personnel have been permitted to attend NSW race meetings during the lockdown periods but from tomorrow, other employees of race clubs that were not previously permitted to attend – such as hospitality staff, gate attendants, crowd control staff, etc. – will be permitted on-course.

Those employees need to be fully vaccinated (other than in NSW regional areas where employees who have received one vaccination dose will be permitted to return to their workplace and given a grace period until November 1 to receive their second dose).

Race clubs are required by Racing NSW to put in place COVID-19 Safety Plans. Presently, owners are not permitted to interact with trainers on raceday or enter horse stall areas and must remain within the patron zone.

UPCOMING NSW COUNTRY RACE MEETINGS
Monday: Murwillumbah, Tamworth
Tuesday: Queanbeyan
Friday: Taree, Bathurst
Saturday: Wagga, Narromine, Wauchope (non-TAB), Inverell (non-TAB)
Sunday: Nowra, Lismore