A track rider for the Mathew Ellerton and Simon Zahra stable is in quarantine after attending a gym later declared a Tier 1 COVID exposure site.
The Mathew Ellerton & Simon Zahra stable face an anxious wait to know whether they can start their accepted runners over the weekend.
A track rider from the stable attended a gym, a Tier 1 exposure site, on Tuesday and while initial tests for COVID have come back negative, the identified rider must quarantine for 14 days.
To complicate matters, another track rider from the Ellerton and Zahra stable, who shares accommodation with the other rider, must also isolate.
Ellerton and Zahra were unable to work the majority of their horses at Flemington on Thursday and were only able to give runners entered to run at Geelong on Friday along with Flemington and Moe on Saturday exercise after all others had vacated the course.
The stable has three runners scheduled to run at Geelong, four at Flemington and two at Moe while also having 15 horses entered to jump-out at Flemington on Friday morning.
Zahra said whether their runners at Geelong can start would be determined by a COVID test undertaken by the track rider early on Friday morning.
“I’m sure Racing Victoria and the powers that be will work a through it and hopefully we’ll be able to get on the track tomorrow at some stage,” Zahra told RSN.
RV’s head of integrity, Jamie Stier, said his department was working closely with the Ellerton and Zahra stable and was acutely aware of the animal welfare implications should any forced lockdown occur.
“We’ve managed with the assistance of the VRC to put in place a mechanism to allow the horses that are engaged both tomorrow and Saturday to be exercised this morning,” Stier said.
“We are in close contact with our CMO (Chief Medical Officer) and we keep a watch on wider community developments and the ongoing health advice and then we’ll put in place mechanisms that we think give racing the biggest level of security that we are able to provide for its continuance.”
