Bullock said the industry was still recovering from the 10-week shutdown and now had to deal with an outbreak of canine coronavirus.

The result has been smaller than usual race meetings and reduced field sizes, exemplified by a six-race meeting in Devonport on Tuesday with less than 40 runners.

"The virus has knocked out three or four kennels that we know of," Bullock said.

"And, there could be others, because if they don't nominate you don't know they've got it.

"Kennels that get it have to shut down for 14 days but, unless they've got their own training track, it will be longer than that before their dogs are ready to race again.

"They can't run their dogs for 14 days because they're not allowed to leave their property so trainers then have to get them fit again.

"We will be light on (for numbers) for a while.

"I reckon it will be three months before we get back into full swing."

Bullock said the virus and aftermath of the industry shutdown hit Devonport harder than the Launceston and Hobart tracks.

"For a start, two of the biggest kennels on the North West Coast are shut down," he said.

"But there are other factors - Devonport racing the day after Launceston doesn't help - a lot of trainers don't want to back up.

"Then, you've got to run over 452m at Devonport - they don't have 278m races like Launceston.

"The weather also has an impact - people are not wanting to travel in winter, they tend to stay in their own area."

Bullock said "there are a lot of dogs about" but the numbers weren't being reflected in field sizes for all those reasons.

The Exeter-based trainer will supply more than a third of the runners at the Devonport meeting, after having 17 of the 65 starters in Launceston on Monday night.

Despite having the same name, canine coronavirus is not the same virus that causes COVID-19.

It causes gastrointestinal problems in dogs, as opposed to respiratory disease.

Pipers River trainer Marc Butler took four horses to the races over the weekend and won with all four - Sermac and Beachboy Butch at Mowbray and Raymonds Judge and Full Speed Ahead in Hobart.

In doing so, he was indirectly responsible for 'breaking' the on-course tote at both venues.

To be more precise, it was some of his stable clients who did most of the damage.

Raymonds Judge and Full Speed Ahead are both raced by Devonport owners Brett and Ian Collins and Peter Jones, who it's fair to say, don't mind a bet.

Their punting saga began at Mowbray.

They were about to enter the grandstand complex when they saw another prominent owner, Butch Gillies, stranded downstairs in his motorised wheelchair.

With the lift out of order, Butch had no way to get to his mates on level 3 - so they literally picked up him and carried him up four flights of stairs.

If ever there was an omen bet it was the Butler-trained Beachboy Butch later in the night, so all parties unloaded ($7 into $4) and the tote couldn't pay.

They did manage to get Butch back downstairs at the end of the night, although the celebrations had started to kick in and they needed the help of security.

Moving onto Hobart two nights later, the cashed-up owners had their own horses to back.

Raymonds Judge was $4 into $2.40 and Full Speed Ahead $4 to $3.30 - and again the tote couldn't pay.

The Collins/Jones team bred Raymonds Judge themselves. They also won a race with his half brother Crackerjacks Judge before selling him 12 months ago and have high hopes for the mare's latest progeny, unraced two-year-old filly Carols Judge.

As for Full Speed Ahead, he was bought by the owners for $10,000 immediately after he dead-heated in the 2018 St Marys Cup.

Has has since won another six races and more than $50,000.

"I don't know where he will run next," Brett Collins said.

"We can't race him every week because he's getting old (rising 10) and gets a bit sore so Marc will look for a race every fortnight or so."

The lineup of horses entered for barrier trials at Spreyton on Tuesday morning would do justice to a feature race meeting over the summer carnival.

Mystic Journey makes her reappearance in the second trial at 10.30 am where she is due to clash with multiple Melbourne winner Tshahitsi.

Still A Star, whose last four starts before a spell netted wins in the Tasmanian Guineas, Launceston Guineas, Strutt Stakes and Tasmanian Oaks, is due to go around in the fifth trial at 11.15 am.

Mystic Journey's stablemates Mystical Pursuit and Warrior Prince are other interesting entries along with Century Arrow and Skip Town Mike who both won three of their last four starts before going for spells.

The 11 trials start at 10.15 am, with the last at 12.45 pm.

Racing returns to Hobart on Sunday where there are 174 entries.