BHA urges racing to still lead by example when it comes to Covid protocols

They believe the measures put in place for racing’s resumption on June 1 last year after the first lockdown have negated any risk to public health.

Since then access for owners has been restricted – and a limited number of spectators only permitted to attend a handful of meetings.

The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has – as expected – now warned that the current lockdown will prevent owners attending meetings until the national restrictions are eased.

Meanwhile, Beverley has become the fifth racecourse in Britain to be turned into a Covid vaccination centre – with the first local residents being innoculated from today onwards.

“Delighted to announce that the racecourse will be operating as a Covid19 Vaccination Centre from Wednesday,” chief executive Sally Iggulden tweeted.

“Final preparations are being made so that we can safely welcome local people and roll 
out this much needed programme.”

Yet, while this is part of racing’s wider participation in the national struggle to defeat the pandemic, the BHA says there’s no room for complacency.

“British racing has in place stringent protocols for the control of Coronavirus on racecourses,” a spokesman said last night.

“There has been no evidence observed of transmission of the disease on racecourses since the sport resumed on June 1, and the sport has engaged regularly with local authorities to assure them of the safety of our events and maintain their support for meetings to take place.

“UK Government has confirmed that elite sport can continue during the lockdown period. They recognise the important part that sport has to play in people’s lives at such times. In part the track record of British racing, alongside other sports, in being able to operate safely without transmission of the virus will have influenced this decision.”

They went on: “However, our protocols must be reflective of the wider national situation, and therefore must be particularly stringent at this time.

“As such, attendance at racing fixtures must be limited to the most essential personnel only at present.

“This means that, for example, owners will unfortunately not be able to attend race meetings while lockdown is in place – as was already the case at fixtures in Tier 4 areas.

“In the meantime, our priority must be to focus on the continuation of racing behind closed doors, to ensure the sport can continue to support the many livelihoods which are dependent on it.

“For this reason, now more than ever, it is important that everyone involved in the sport continues to play their part by following Government and racing’s protocols closely.”

Meanwhile, Mark Johnston expects 2021 to be a challenging year for trainers as owners cut back on their commitments.

Britain’s most prolific trainer recorded 169 winners last year – despite two and a half months being lost to the first lockdown.

The Middleham trainer also recorded a Group One double in France courtesy of the successes of Subjectivist and Gear Up on a memorable late October weekend.

But, in his latest blog post, Johnston alludes to the uncertainties facing all yards at present.

“Owners will also have found other things to do with their time and we in racing have to hope that they haven’t enjoyed those things too much,” he wrote.

“First indications are that some have cut back, whether as a result of financial pressures resulting from the pandemic or simply because they have re-evaluated their spend on racing.

“Johnston Racing will go into 2021 with about 20 per cent less horses than we had at the beginning of this year but we still have a big team and we have scaled ‘mountains’ in the past with much smaller teams than we have now.”

Politologue heads 12 entries for the Matchbook Betting Exchange Clarence House Chase at Ascot on January 23.

The Paul Nicholls-trained grey won the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham in March and took the Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown on his reappearance last month.

First Flow, winner of Wetherby’s Castleford Chase for trainer Kim Bailey and jockey David Bass, is also entered.

Newcastle and Lingfield’s National Hunt meetings on Friday have been replaced with jumpers’ bumpers cards on the all-weather after both tracks had to cancel the intended turf meetings due to waterlogging.

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