Horses and jockeys at the Ballarat Turf Club raced in front of onlookers for the first time in months on Tuesday.
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Close to 30 owners were admitted for Tuesday's midweek event. Some even left as winners.
Ballarat Turf Club chief executive Belinda Glass said the day wen't really well.
"We had some winning owners on track which made it even better," she said.
"We only worked with a small number. We allocated 45 tickets but after scratchings and people changing their minds, we ended up having less."
Access to stalls was off limits to the owners, with COVID-19 guidelines restricting them from coming within three metres of essential participants.
Glass said limiting that contact had been a crucial part of the planning process.
"They didn't have access to stalls, but we were able to make an area in the downstairs deck where nine people could stand outside and watch the horses parade," she said.
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Despite the restrictions, Glass said feedback from the owners was positive given the circumstances.
"They were cautious because they don't want to put the industry at risk," she said.
"They are very thankful the industry has been able to operate through this pandemic and certainly those who had a win were happy to experience in person."
The club will now look ahead to its next meet which will be held on Sunday. Glass anticipated that 80 owners would be in attendance throughout the day.
Although progress is being made, she said it was too early to tell what the Ballarat Cup would look like.
"I'll be very surprised if it's business as usual, but I'm hopeful." she said.
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