New Zealand agents receive last-minute go-ahead to attend Magic Millions sale
New Zealand agents Paul Willetts and Bevan Smith jetted into Australia yesterday, after receiving a last-minute lifeline from the Australian government to allow them to attend the Magic Millions Gold Coast National Sale later this month.
After initially having their travel exemptions rejected by the Australian Department of Home Affairs, as revealed in ANZ Bloodstock News last month, representation by Thoroughbred Breeders Australia with government authorities saw the decision reversed.
Smith and Willetts, along with Magic Millions auctioneer Steve Davis and former long-time Cambridge Stud manager and new Yulong recruit Marcus Corban, flew from Auckland to the Gold Coast to begin 14 days of hotel quarantine.
“It’s all been a bit rushed. We only found out on the weekend that we could get over here and the first flight over was this morning,” Smith said yesterday.
“I had given up hope and started to try and plan for the next couple of months of being in New Zealand, but I got a call on Saturday to say it was ‘all go’.”
Smith was unsure whether the group would be allowed to leave the Surfers Paradise quarantine hotel on July 20, after the first session of the National mares sale, or early the following day.
“Having to serve the quarantine put a few other (New Zealand agents) off. I think we’re going to miss the first day of the mares’ sale, so that basically rules that out and makes it pretty hard.
“I don’t think I’ll be doing much on the mares side of things, but I might go there with a short shortlist and try and get something done.
“I will be mainly focusing on the weanlings with the time-frame.”
Smith, Davis, Willetts and Corban were bused from the Gold Coast Airport to a Surfers Paradise hotel to undertake the quarantine.
“We had a temperature check on the way through and we had to have social distancing and face masks.
“The airport wasn’t too extreme as it was basically the only flight coming in and it wasn’t a very full flight, that’s for sure, and I didn’t have anyone else in the same row of seats as me.
“But when we got to the hotel there were police, there were camera crews. It was all pretty serious when we got down here.”
Meanwhile, interstate trainers, including those from NSW, will be able to attend the Magic Millions National Sale without having to complete 14 days of quarantine.
In a statement released by Racing Queensland, the governing body said the new rules would come into effect from Friday.
This ruling is particularly relevant to NSW trainers who initially faced being locked out of attending the upcoming weanling and yearling sale due to industry regulations relating to the Covid-19 pandemic.
However, Victorian participants are still required to undertake 14 days of quarantine. Racing NSW also said, from this Friday, that any interstate licensee (excluding Victoria) can attend a racecourse and licensed premises in the state.
They must not travel by commercial aircraft to NSW on the day of the race meeting. Any Victorian resident or anyone who has travelled to that state since June 1 must undertake 14 days of isolation prior to being allowed to attend race meetings.