Boosted crowd numbers for Anzac Day races at Flemington

After 46 days without a community transmitted COVID case in Victoria, the Victoria Racing Club has announced the removal of the segregated safe zones for their upcoming Anzac Day meeting at Flemington.

Victoria presently has three COVID cases in hotel quarantine after international travellers were allowed to fly into Melbourne from last week.

But the VRC has been approved to remove the two strict COVID-safe zones previously in place that had restricted crowds at Flemington to 15,000 patrons.

The removing of the zones will allow for more members to return to Flemington on April 25 while racegoers will be able to move freely around the course.

VRC chief executive said those on course will enjoy a pre-COVID race day experience.

“We’ve worked closely with the Victorian Government to return to a more familiar race day experience for all our members and spectators, and we’re delighted to confirm the removal of the two strict, segregated zones in time for our traditional Anzac Day Race Day,” Rosich said.

“It means that patrons can watch the entertainment on the Front Lawn, wander down to the horse stalls to see our equine athletes up close and participate in the different Anzac Day activities across the course.”

This year marks 60 years of racing conducted on Anzac Day at Flemington, and the VRC will mark the milestone in conjunction with the centenary of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) with a number of fitting tributes to servicemen and women on course.

The feature race on Anzac Day is the Listed VRC St Leger (2800m) a race that is older than the Melbourne Cup and has been won by the Gai Waterhouse And Adrian Bott  stable for the past three years.