Trainer Kim Bailey says racing missed chance to thank NHS on resumption

He believes the races being staged at Newcastle’s meeting on Monday, the first in the country since March 17, could have acknowledged the national emergency – even though they’re being staged behind closed doors.

Bailey won the National with Mr Frisk in 1990 before completing the Gold Cup and Champion Hurdle double at Cheltenham in 1995 courtesy of Master Oats and Alderbrook.

“I feel racing has missed a golden opportunity to be seen to be thankful to the NHS and its care workers when naming the races at Newcastle and Kempton next week,” Bailey wrote on his blog.

“There is bound to be a fair bit of TV coverage on June 1 and I feel that racing should have shown the way to other sports by showing we care for what they have done...and are doing.

“I would have certainly named the first race The Care Workers and NHS Condition Stakes, or something that might show that we, as a sport, appreciate what they have done for us in the past, and what they will again in the future.

“Why the Brenkley Handicap? It is the name of a village four miles from the racecourse in fact all the races are named after local villages.”

Referring to the past week’s scandal over Boris Johnson’s chief aide Dominic Cummings, the trainer added: “Actually I suppose I would not have been shocked if the races at Newcastle were named after the nearby towns of Durham and Barnard Castle.”

Former Grand National-winning trainer Jenny Pitman told The Yorkshire Post recently that racing needed to do more to highlight it support for the NHS and its medics who are integral to the safety of the sport.

Many racecourses have said they intend to hold special racedays for NHS heroes and key workers once it is safe for spectators to return to meetings.

After calling off this year’s National meeting, Aintree has already announced that it will donate 10,000 tickets to the NHS and social care sector in Merseyside for the first day of the 2021 meeting.

Meanwhile the BHA is trying to maximise the use of private health providers in the coming weeks in order to ease the burden on the NHS.

In other news, ITV Racing is set for a high-profile return next week, with 21 live races to be screened over three days.

It will be the channel’s first broadcast since Thurles in Ireland was shown on March 21 and will hosted by Ed Chamberlin from his home ‘studio’.

Seven races will be shown each day and taking centre stage on Friday afternoon at Newmarket is the Coronation Cup, followed by the Qipco-sponsored 2000 and 1000 Guineas on Saturday and Sunday respectively.

Lingfield’s Derby and Oaks trials also feature, while the Sagaro Stakes at Newcastle and the Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Haydock are other notable highlights.

Francesca Cumani will also be part of ITV’s home-based team, as will Jason Weaver and all the direction and production unit of the show, using innovative technology and adhering to social-distancing guidelines. Richard Hoiles will be based off site in a commentary booth.

Meanwhile, William Buick can’t wait to ride Charlie Appleby’s precocious Pinatubo in the 2000 Guineas on Saturday week, the first Classsic of the belated and truncated 2020 season.

The superstar colt won all six races last season, including Group One triumphs at the Curragh and Newmarket, and, in doing so, earned a higher juvenile rate than the mark accrued to Sir Henry Cecil’s all-conquering Frankel in 2012.

Buick, retained by Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolpin operation, won his first domestic Classic a decade ago when John Gosden’s Arctic Cosmos landed the St Leger. More recently, he won the 2018 Derby on the Appleby-trained Masar.

“I’ve been keeping fit as I would normally, riding out most days and I’ve got a gym set up at home. That’s been good for keeping fit, so that’s something I’m not really worried about,” he said. “I am looking forward to getting back to the daily routine.”

The BHA has published a 33-page document outlining the protocols for a return to racing. Strict social distancing and hygiene measures will be employed, with jockeys among those who will be required to wear masks on track.

Buick expects all riders will adjust to the new regime and follow the guidelines.

He added: “I think everyone is very positive and very realistic towards it – I think you just all have to stick together, show solidarity and respect the guidelines that have been set.

“They’re so important at the moment and probably will be for a while, but if that’s what it takes to get racing back, we will all adhere to that.”

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