Racing Queensland has followed other states and agreed to lift minimum riding weights for all TAB and non-TAB meetings across the state.

In a media statement on Thursday, RQ said weights would be temporarily raised by one kilogram during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The direction will be applied across the board, excluding black-type races, until further notice.

RQ will enact the new policy for any meeting for which weights are declared from Monday with Toowoomba’s seven-race card on Thursday, as the first to be run under the new conditions.

RQ chief executive Brendan Parnell said it was prudent to do so in the current circumstances.

“The health and wellbeing of our participants during this pandemic is paramount including our jockeys,” Parnell said.

The minimum weight in NSW and Western Australia will rise by one kilogram next week while in Victoria it will be 2kg which is also the case in New Zealand.

Spa facilities on Australian racecourses have been closed, taking away one of the methods jockeys use to shed an extra few grams.

Credit: AAP