This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Racing NSW has cancelled a live barrier draw for the Everest horse race, citing security risks amid ongoing public outrage at plans to project the results on to the Sydney Opera House.

The decision to conduct the draw in private and hours earlier than expected was made by the thoroughbred racing industry body to “circumvent any security risks”.

As a result, betting for the Everest has been suspended until the results are beamed on to the sails of Sydney Opera House on Tuesday night.

The decision comes after the Sydney talkback radio host Alan Jones said he now regretted berating the chief executive of the Sydney Opera House, Louise Herron, on air after she refused to use the sails as a billboard to advertise the horse race.

In the extraordinarily aggressive interview on Friday, Jones called for Herron to be sacked.

Play Video 1:36 Plan to beam gambling ad on to Sydney Opera House sparks national outrage – video report

But on his 2GB show on Tuesday morning he said: “I used some words in these programs about the Everest, and the Opera House, and Louise, which in hindsight I now most regret.”

“I don’t believe my words or actions qualify as those of a bully or a misogynist but there are clearly many people who do.

“My intention was to deal with the issue about which I feel very passionately and not to bully or demean Louise Herron.

“So to Louise and those people who’ve been offended, I apologise,” he said.

The Alan Jones-Opera House row proves Sydney is in thrall to the gambling industry | Tim Costello Read more

Jones and the New South Wales government are facing a backlash in the wake of the interview and the government’s subsequent decision to order the Opera House to display the advertisement for the race. More than a quarter of a million people have signed a petition calling on the state government to reverse its decision.

The petition organiser, Mike Woodcock, hopes the premier, Gladys Berejiklian, will accept the appeal he started on Friday.

Public outrage over the about-face in favour of the event, dubbed the Everest, mounted at the weekend and into this week with some calling it an “assault” on the World Heritage-listed building.

Woodcock, whose petition on Tuesday morning topped 230,000 signatures, said it would be “awesome” if Berejiklian reversed her decision made in the wake of a phone call from Jones.

“On Friday we saw her accept a single phone call from one person that, you know, has a lot of sway in Sydney, apparently,” he told Nine Network. “It would be great if she also accepted the views of 232,000 other people that are on the other side of this.”

On Monday night, the Chaser staged a stunt projecting a sign on to the Opera House sails saying “advertise here” along with Jones’ personal phone number.

In a video of the stunt posted to Facebook, the satirists tell a security guard who challenges them: “Alan Jones called your boss. Gave her a big talking to. Say Alan called and it’s all fine.

When the security guard tried to prevent them from projecting on to the sails, the Chaser member Charles Firth responded: “That’s the biggest billboard in Sydney, mate.”

Jones said on Tuesday morning said that the “haters have marshalled themselves”.

“It’s just impossible; there are anonymous phone calls on my phone every minute,” he said.

The Chaser (@chaser) “Advertise Here”: The Chaser Just Projected Alan Jones’ Phone Number Onto The Opera House https://t.co/oWP70hhmBZ

Earlier on Monday the premier stood by her decision, saying she was “incredibly comfortable” with it despite widespread perceptions she had caved in to Jones, which she denies.

Woodcock’s Change.org petition, which the website says is its “fastest-growing petition” in recent memory, was delivered to the NSW parliament on Tuesday morning.

On Tuesday night, the barrier draw for the Everest is due to be projected on the shells of the Opera House from 8pm, alongside a planned protest on the foreshore.

'It's not a billboard': anger at use of Sydney Opera House for horse racing ads Read more

A protest organiser, Rachel Evans, said there was “a lot of anger” about the promotion, which she described as an “assault on the Opera House”. Nearly 3,000 people are expected to attend and plan to disrupt the Everest projection with torches and mobile phone lights.

The Everest organiser, Racing NSW, claimed it had received death threats in the wake of furore. NSW police said on Monday they were not aware of any reported threats.

The Opera House conservation management plan states: “The Sydney Opera House exterior, particularly the shells ... should not be regarded as a giant billboard or commercial/advertising opportunity.”