Impact of horse racing suspension ‘unthinkable’ for Yorkshire trainer Mark Johnston

Confirmation from the British Horseracing Authority came shortly before ‘behind closed doors’ meetings took place at Wetherby and Taunton before the six-week shutdown took effect last night.

The dramatic development came after the BHA chief executive Nick Rust said Britain was facing a “national emergency” and that the sport was honour-bound “to free up medical resources, doctors and ambulances, be they private sector or NHS, to assist in the national effort”.

And it comes just days after more than 250,000 spectators attended last week’s Cheltenham Festival – the traditional highlight of the National Hunt season.

However, Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s announcement on Monday that the Government was “no longer supporting major gatherings with emergency workers” prompted next month’s Grand National to be cancelled hours later.

It was then a matter of time before the rest of horse racing followed suit – many industry leaders were, despite the dire financial consequences for many jockeys, trainers, stable staff and others whose incomes and livelihoods depend on prize money, uneasy about the sport continuing as the Covid-19 political and social crisis escalated.

And while it means the end of the National Hunt season – the 2019-20 campaign was due to end at Sandown on April 25 – the new Flat season had been due to start at Doncaster on Saturday week.

Classic trials were then expected to be held during April before the Guineas meeting at Newmarket at the beginning of May when Pinatubo, last season’s champion two-year-old, was expected to put his lofty reputation on the line.

This explains why Middleham-based Johnston, the most successful Flat trainer in British racing history is keeping his fingers crossed for a swift resolution.

“Obviously it’s very disappointing. I think, well hoped, racing could be the one sport that could continue behind closed doors,” said Johnson who has saddled more than 4,000 winners in a record-breaking career.

“None of us knows how long this is going to go on for. I don’t know how it’s going to affect the people selling at the breeze-up sales – it could be an enormous blow for them – and it’s obviously going to hit racecourses very hard.

“The implications of it potentially cancelling the entire Flat season don’t bear thinking about. We’d have a whole generation of two-year-olds who haven’t been able to run – as I say, it’s unthinkable. It’s a situation none of us has ever encountered before, and my opinion on it changes every day.”

Classic-winning trainer Andrew Balding supported the BHA’s decision to cancel racing.

He said: “Obviously there’s disappointment, but in light of what is happening in other countries and what could potentially happen here, it was the only decision that could be made – and I’m sure it’s the right one.

“We’ll learn a lot more in the next few weeks – racing is an irrelevance in terms of what is going on in the wider world.”

Many racing yards run a tight ship, but Balding hopes the impact on staff can be kept to a minimum. “I very much hope I can continue to employ all my staff – but as is always very much the case with racing, the owners foot the bill,” he said.

“At the end of the day, with the training fees – depending on how long this goes on – there may have to be a reduction in the rate if this goes on for a lengthy period.”

Meanwhile Leyburn-based Flat jockey PJ McDonald, president of the Professional Jockeys Association, said the consequences for his members could be significant.

“It was a bit of a shock. Obviously we knew something was going to happen soon, but we hoped we might get away with it behind closed doors for a little bit longer,” said McDonald, whose career was taken to new heights by his association with Karl Burke’s multiple Group One winner Laurens.

“A lot of intelligent people have made this decision and it’s been made for the right reasons, so let’s hope we can get through it safe and we get back racing as soon as we can.

“If we’re not riding we can’t earn, but outside the racing bubble the whole country will take a hit. We’ve all got to tighten our belts and do what we’ve got to do to get through it.

“Public safety is the most important thing, no one has ever witnessed anything like this before. Some jockeys are better placed financially than others. There’s no getting away from it, it’s going to be tough, but you just have to deal with your own situation the best you can.

“There shouldn’t be any problem keeping fit – we’ve a lot of time on our hands! A lot of us will be riding out as well, but the trainers will see a hit financially as owners won’t want to pay to keep horses that can’t race.

“I’d be pretty scared if we can’t get back by the end of April.”