Crowds, as they have for all three racing codes in Victoria, have been absent from the greyhounds since late-March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but racing has continued largely unabated throughout.

Friday's meeting will be the first to welcome back crowds in Victoria since the pandemic again.

Tickets for Friday's and future meetings need to be pre-booked online and will be available from 9am two days before and close 6pm the day before.

Bookings can be purchased by visiting trybooking.com and searching Bendigo Greyhounds.

Spectators will be subject to several on-course COVID rules and regulations. They include:

. All attendees are required to log their details using the QR code displayed at the entry to the venue for attendance register and contact tracing purposes and have their temperature checked by the event aid medic;

. Once on track, patrons are asked to remain in their allocated seat/area of booking and with their group unless using restrooms or purchasing food and beverage, to minimise movement and contact;

. Food and beverage must be consumed at your allocated seat;

. Masks must be worn indoors unless consuming food and/or beverage.

The first race on Friday is at 2.42pm.

In a further encouraging development for racegoers, Victorian harness racing clubs can now identify race dates and apply to host crowds on-course for those meetings under COVIDSafe protocols.

Approvals will be dependent on clubs developing a COVID-safe plan.

Under the proposal, clubs wishing to host patrons at race meetings will work with Harness Racing Victoria (HRV) to ensure their COVID-safe event plan or COVID-safe event checklist complies with the government's updated public event framework.

Up to 300 spectators will be on-course for this Friday night's Gavin and Graeme Lang tribute night at Lord's Raceway.

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