Horse racing fans ‘glad to be back’ on track after successful Ludlow meeting

Aside from two pilot events, staged at Doncaster and Warwick in September, only a limited number of essential personnel have been allowed on track since the sport’s resumption on June 1 following the Covid-19 lockdown.

But Tier 2 status for Ludlow, and also Lingfield, Haydock and Kempton which staged meetings yesterday, meant that they could welcome racegoers.

The current rules allow sporting venues in Tier 2 areas, including Catterick, to host 2,000 spectators or 50 per cent capacity – whichever is lowest.

And this meant a crowd at Ludlow, a picturesque Shropshire track emblematic with National Hunt racing in the depths of winter.

Racegoer Rhiannon Linington-Payne – who was attending her first meeting since New Year’s Day – spoke for all those present when she ventured: “I felt very safe, which is obviously the most important thing. As just a general fan of the sport, it is just nice to be back.

“I don’t come to the races to get drunk or lose my money; I come because I appreciate the sport, and I’m sure I speak for a lot of people here who are glad to be back watching the horses again.

“We normally go to the Cheltenham Festival. But we didn’t this year because we didn’t feel safe, but it is nice to be enjoying what we love safely.”

Tickets for the fixture were always going to be in high demand, and the 29-year-old was quick off the mark to secure hers.

She added: “I rang my dad up on the day they made the 
announcement to say ‘book us in, we are going, and I’ll take the day off work’. It’s really nice to be back on track, and I’m sure it gives people a much-needed lift with the year everyone has had. It has been a long old slog, but hopefully it will give everyone a bit of a boost before Christmas,” she added.

Despite encountering a few teething problems getting in, and being restricted to limited amenities once inside, track regular Don Ward also enjoyed the experience of being back in the stands.

He said: “It’s very good to be back. It was a bit slow to get in, but apart from that it has been magnificent to be back. I’m 79 and I’ve been coming here all my life.”

Leading rider Harry Skelton has partnered plenty of winners at the Shropshire track – and although out of luck on his sole ride, he was delighted to see a crowd back in the stands.

He said: “It’s brilliant to have the crowds back – they are great supporters of the game, and it is very important to have them on course.

“We were told in the autumn it was more likely to be six months before crowds returned – and when we were told that, none of us expected to see them back so early, so this is a step in the right direction.”

Meanwhile, Racecourse Association chief executive David Armstrong described the return of limited crowds as a “baby step”.

Fears were raised about the future of racecourses if the absence of spectators continued, but Armstrong is “confident” all venues will remain operational in 2021.

He added: “Yes, (I expect every course to still be operating next year).

“There are some in a more fragile position than others – and if in 12 months’ time the crowds weren’t allowed back, then I don’t think they would all survive, but I’m confident they all will.

“The real work is how we bring crowds back at a significant scale, because that is where the economics start to work,” added Armstrong.

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