Without the possibility of local communities being able to attend because of restrictions on public gatherings, upcoming picnic race meetings have been cancelled.

While professional racing is continuing in Victoria and NSW with significant measures in place including public lock-outs, Racing Victoria has announced the final five meetings of the picnic race season in the state have been abandoned.

They were scheduled to be held at Alexandra (March 21), Healesville (March 28), Mansfield (April 4), Balnarring (April 11) and Swifts Creek (April 12).

“Today's announcement that the remaining five meetings of the picnic racing season will be abandoned was made in consultation with Country Racing Victoria and the clubs on the basis that the meetings are predominantly events staged for local communities and customer engagement,” Racing Victoria chief executive Giles Thompson said.

“Together with CRV we have committed to work with the affected picnic racing clubs and participants on the distribution of the prize money for these five meetings among them in recognition of their lost earnings.”

Racing NSW also announced on Monday picnic meetings at Ardlethan (March 21), Tullibigeal (March 28) and Cootamundra (April 4) and the non-TAB Trangie meeting (March 21) had been abandoned.