Chris Waller was right – it sure does feel a hell of a lot safer than going to the supermarket.

After months away from the track as the coronavirus pandemic hit, the Gold Coast Turf Cub invited me to cover the races on Saturday and I sought permission from Racing Queensland as well as my employer who both agreed as long as protocols and social distancing were followed.

Chief steward Peter Chadwick was also comfortable with Racenet being allowed on track for the Gold Coast Guineas meeting.

Outside of ‘essential’ broadcast media, I believe I may have been the first written journalist to be allowed back onto a racetrack anywhere in Australia.

Arriving an hour before the first race, I pulled up at the same time as jockey Robbie Fradd (turns out he has a much nicer car than me, who would have thought!).

I was ushered into the entry normally reserved for horses, my temperature was checked and recorded and given a bright blue wrist-ban to show I was A-OK to be on track. 

Wandering through the Turf Club precinct, it didn’t take long to realise this indeed was a ghost town and there was an almost eerie feeling for a while as I got used to it.

The areas where bookmakers would normally have been setting up shop and punters would have usually been studying some last-minute form and getting ready to strike were about as barren as the Sahara Desert.

Under escort from Turf Club CEO Steve Lines, I observed the COVD-19 protocols in the jockeys' 'room' and that revealed the little lads and ladies just about had the place to themselves.

They and their gear were spread out in a huge inside area adjacent to the mounting yard which is normally the domain of members.

Even with all the jockeys, there was a heap of spare space and more than enough room to swing plenty of cats.

The trainers had a funky function room upstairs to themselves and were mostly spread out on loungechairs.

Australia in 2020 is very different – and so too are the races which have, remarkably and fantastically, kept on keeping on through the pandemic.

There were certainly no complaints from participants about the protocols in place and, indeed, one jockey on Saturday quipped he actually hoped they would remain.

I think he was probably serious.

“This is outstanding, there’s no owners to harass me and no punters screaming abuse at me from the stands!” the jockey quipped.

There was little or no atmosphere on track – there simply weren’t enough people on course to create any and admittedly it wasn’t a high-profile meeting anyway - but it didn’t matter one bit in the current environment.

“It feels like being at the barrier trials, doesn’t it?” leading local trainer Toby Edmonds observed.

"But how good is it that we are racing."

*Hightail wins the Gold Coast Guineas. Photo: AAP

Back in March, as racing was hanging by a thread, champion trainer Chris Waller told Racenet that he believed racing’s ability to keep going hinged on the coronavirus curve flattening – but he also pointed out he felt safer at the races than he does at his local supermarket.

You can read that story HERE

After returning to the races on Saturday, I reckon Waller hit the nail on the head.

With the Sunshine State continuing to relax its coronavirus restrictions, plenty of Queenslanders headed from Brisbane to the Gold Coast beaches on Saturday and lots of other businesses were opening and operating in a restricted fashion.

I’m no doctor but I’m tipping you would have been far more likely to get sick at your local café or surrounded by beachgoers on Saturday than at the races where you could probably fire a gun and not hit anyone.

And it’s $1.01 you would come across more people at close range in the fruit and vege section of your local supermarket than at the races at the moment.

Racing has done a fabulous job to keep racing through the pandemic and I still don't reckon officials have got the kudos they deserve for acting promptly and making smart decisions like confining jockeys to specific zones.

But the very nature of the code has also helped.

It is generally a solitary profession for trainers and jockeys who, as a matter of course, spend a lot of time working early in the morning and don’t have many others for close company.

And with racetracks stripped of crowds, the risk seems minimal as long as everyone toes the line and no-one acts like a goose and stuffs things up.

It will still probably be months before fans are allowed back to the races and even when that happens it will probably be very much be in a restricted sense in terms of crowd numbers and areas that are open.

But in the meantime, Racenet is hoping our journalists based in other states – and indeed all other written and website media – will soon be allowed back to the races.

Racenet, like other media outlets, can be the eyes and ears of punters at the track and bring you, the valued reader, the very best and latest news from on-course.

Racetracks, with their vast expanses and all their empty space, are probably one of the safest places in Australia right now. 

* Note: In Queensland during the winter carnival, Racenet is looking forward to being on track every Saturday to provide readers with news reports, race reviews and the latest from the stewards' room. *

Racing Victoria has announced some updates to its COVID-19 protocols, including changes to its travelling companion restrictions and the allowance of the Green Team jockeys at the Mornington jumpouts.

“We’ve regularly stated that we will review the protocols in place for the safe continuation of Victorian racing on an ongoing basis and these amended protocols emanate from that process,” said Racing Victoria Chief Executive, Giles Thompson.

“We are satisfied that the strict policies around the segregation of jockeys on raceday can be replicated for jump-outs conducted by the MRC, VRC and Cranbourne, and accordingly we are comfortable with extending the Approved Green Team Jump-Outs to include Mornington also.

“Since the ban on travelling companions was imposed a month ago to help facilitate the stabling of horses from training centres together on raceday and further assist social distancing measures, there has been considerable feedback from trainers around the importance of the companions from a horse welfare viewpoint.

“Having reviewed the allocation and management of raceday stalls over the past month, we are now satisfied that we can allow selected travelling companions on raceday where it is essential to the welfare of horses travelling on their own to and from the racecourse.”

Effective from Wednesday, jockeys in the Green Team will be permitted to participate in local jump-outs conducted by the Melbourne Racing Club (MRC) at Mornington, in addition to local jump-outs at Caulfield, Cranbourne, Flemington and Sandown.

The prohibition on jockeys in the Green Team riding trackwork (including on the morning of Approved Green Team Jump-Outs) remains in place until otherwise advised, as does the prohibition on them participating in jump-outs at other training centres and racecourses.

The MRC, Victoria Racing Club (VRC) and Cranbourne Turf Club (CTC) continue to implement measures that maintain the segregation of participating jockeys in the Green and Gold Teams at their local jump-outs, replicating what occurs at all race meetings.

The Approved Green Team Jump-Outs recognise the health and wellbeing challenges faced by members of the Green Team, in particular in maintaining their weight and fitness without trackwork permitted and with the closure of gyms, on-course spas and saunas.

The protocol banning all travelling companions, including ponies, will be amended with effect from Wednesday, 20 May 2020 to allow them under the following circumstances only:

a trainer will be permitted to bring a travelling companion to a racecourse where they have one runner only engaged at the race meeting and they have been granted approval by the host Club who will determine whether there is suitable space to accommodate them; and

the trainer notified Racing Australia at the time of nominating their horse that a travelling companion was required.

For eligible horses engaged at Ballarat this Wednesday, notification to Racing Australia will be permitted at tomorrow’s acceptance deadline for this meeting only.

The prohibition on trainers with multiple runners at a race meeting bringing travelling companions remains in place and RV Stewards will continue to monitor compliance with the protocol by those not eligible or approved to bring a companion.  

Albury trainer Mitch Beer has made an emotional plea for help from racing, with current COVID-19 restrictions taking him to the brink.

Beer was informed recently that 22 of his horses spelling in Victoria would, under no circumstances, be allowed back into New South Wales as part of Racing NSW's strict horse transport measures.

Under the rules, any horse travelling from Victoria cannot return to a licensed premises in NSW.

The border trainer said he wasn't given enough time to organise the return of his horses across the border when Racing NSW made the snap decision earlier this month due to the rise in Victorian COVID-19 cases.

He fears his money will eventually run out if he isn't allowed to get more of his horses back into work.

But he has vowed to spend every cent he has to his name rather than lay off any of his 'incredible' staff.

Beer also highlighted other nightmare issues the restrictions have caused, including a 1100-kilometre round trip to race at Goulburn because he wasn't allowed to take his horses to Wodonga 10km away.

He also completed an overnight journey to race at Warwick Farm, only to find out once he arrived that the races had been called off due to COVID-19 concerns.

"The lack of support we've had (from racing is disappointing). I've had no one from Racing New South Wales or no one from Racing Victoria ring up and say 'Hey, how are you doing? How are your staff going? Can we help in any way'?" Beer said.

"I think it's very average. We are a cog in the chain in this whole operation and I haven't whinged or complained during the whole thing because keeping racing going is massive.

"You cop whatever you can to try and prevent that. But through these border closures and horse movement stuff, there's a very, very small amount of people really, really affected. But no one has been hit harder than the people of Albury-Wodonga and it's disappointing, the lack of support.

"We are taking horses to Dubbo, Bathurst. I drove to Sydney and the races got called off, stayed the night, left early and got home and the next day I loaded up and did a 1100-kilometre round trip to Dubbo and came back.

"I took horses an hour-and-a-half this morning just to give them a jumpout at Wagga because I can't go anywhere else. I took two horses on Sunday to an official trial at Narrandera, which is 2.5 hours away, just to give them an official trial at 5:15pm on a Sunday night.

"But we have no other option.

"You try and stay as positive as possible, but you can't sugar coat that it's a very, very testing time."

Beer said he has made contact with RV in an attempt to get some stables on the other side of the border so he can get some of his horses back into work.

"We've got 22 horses on the other side of the border. We are working with both parties," he said.

"I spoke to Racing Victoria about potentially having some temporary boxes on the other side of the border. It's just all unknown."

Beer said the restrictions were taking a significant financial toll on his business but he reiterated that he'd use every dollar he had to his name before even contemplating letting staff go.

He is currently housing his Wodonga-based staff in Air BnB properties in Albury so they can work at his stables.

"I've got such a responsibility to keep 14 people in a job," Beer said.

"They have packed up their lives and moved over here for their job. There is no one here that is going to be laid off due to it, we will keep all our horses going and do what we can.

"The burden and stress of it all is one thing and you throw the financial stress of it all as well. At the end of the day we are a country stable.

"I added it up when it first came and I don't think I want to again, but between the accommodation and travelling we are doing, it's a good $2000 and $2500 a week on top (of our usual costs) minimum."