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he Victorian Racing club (VRC) have announced the four-day Melbourne Cup Carnival will proceed at Flemington Racecourse this year without live crowds on November 3. 

VRC chairman, Amanda Elliot, said: “while we are very disappointed not to be able to welcome our members and racegoers to cup week, we understand the Government’s commitment to keeping our community safe.”

“We also recognise the need for certainty and clarity for our patrons, being only six days out from Derby Day.

“We are still in discussions regarding the potential return to the track for a small number of owners, as is currently permitted in regional Victoria,” Elliot said.

A total of seven new Coronavirus cases were recorded in Victoria on Sunday, with six linked to an outbreak in the Northern suburbs of Melbourne.

Elliot said the Melbourne Cup would be viewed by TV audiences “from across Australia and around the world”, in spite of the fact that live crowds will be prohibited.

“We will play our part in supporting Victoria’s emergence from this pandemic as Melbourne moves closer to a normal environment over summer,” Elliot said.

The Melbourne Cup Carnival includes Victoria Derby Day, Melbourne Cup Day, Oaks Day, and Mackinnon Stakes Day, with Cup day usually holding crowds of up to 100,000.