Saturday's Ballarat Cup crowd will remain limited to 5000 despite the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions for outdoor events by the Victorian Government as of Friday.
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Ballarat Turf Club chief executive officer Belinda Glass said an increase at such short notice was not possible under Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation major events licensing.
She said organisations were required to apply for licences to run events with more than 5000 people at least three months before the scheduled date.
"It's well past that deadline."
Glass also acknowledged that logistically it would also not have been possible to open the gates to a bigger crowd, with catering, staffing and infrastructure already locked in for 5000,.
Some general admission tickets remain available for anyone wanting to go to the Cup meeting, with the club urging any interested patrons to pre-book.
The BTC is not able to guarantee there will be any general admission tickets will be available for walk-ups on Saturday.
While the major easing of COVD-19 restrictions has come too late for the Ballarat Cup, Glass said it was good news for organisations such as the BTC with forward planning of events.
She said the club could now prepare for race meetings and other events with certainty.
BTC will take its usual break from racing after Cup Day to allow for annual track renovation works.
It will not race again until Tuesday, February 8.
