Wetherby Racecourse forecast ‘six-figure’ loss as National Hunt season begins

The 2020-21 National Hunt season begins behind closed doors at Wetherby today.The 2020-21 National Hunt season begins behind closed doors at Wetherby today.
The 2020-21 National Hunt season begins behind closed doors at Wetherby today.
WETHERBY officials fear they will make a “significant six-figure loss” as the new National Hunt season begins behind closed doors today.

The absence of crowds means the course, alongside sponsors bet365, are pumping more of their own money into feature races like the Charlie Hall Chase on October 31.

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But the one glimmer of hope, says chief executive Jonjo Sanderson, is the number of horses declared for today’s season-opening fixture.

And the key, he says, is whether the competitiveness of the eight-race card boosts betting turnover and, in turn, feeds back into the sport’s coffers.

An archive photo of Wetherby races from the 1950s.An archive photo of Wetherby races from the 1950s.
An archive photo of Wetherby races from the 1950s.

With only stabling for 91 horses, 17 of the 108 declarations had to be balloted out and Sanderson says the only previous year this meeting was over-subscribed came in 2008 when he took over the running of the track. “Let’s hope it is jump racing holding its own,” Sanderson told The Yorkshire Post.

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However, he attributes this to the good to soft ground which has been unraced since March – Wetherby hosted the last race meeting before Britain went into lockdown – and recent rain which negated the need for any artificial watering.

Natural ground rather than the legacy of water ground, says Sanderson, is always preferable going into winter. The regret, he goes on, is that only around 120 owners will be present to watch the racing at the A1M course.

He said the racecourse’s budget for the 2020-21 season is based on a number of assumptions. “We have no idea how our jump fixtures are going to perform from a betting perspective – or on a ‘watch and bet’ basis through our media rights contracts,” he said.

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This is Jedd o'Keeffe's stable star Sam Spinner winning at Wetherby's season-opening fixture last year.This is Jedd o'Keeffe's stable star Sam Spinner winning at Wetherby's season-opening fixture last year.
This is Jedd o'Keeffe's stable star Sam Spinner winning at Wetherby's season-opening fixture last year.

“We don’t know whether crowds are going to return or not, though our forecasts are based on a zero crowd. It is a significant six-figure loss. There are no surprises in that and we are not alone in that.

“We are taking a pessimistic view, and hope things improve, and we are trying to do things where we can, but it’s not an ideal place to be.”

Up to 30 per cent of Wetherby’s annual attendance derives from two meetings – Charlie Hall Chase day, which usually features some of the country’s top steeplechasers making their seasonal bow, and the traditional Boxing Day meeting.

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And here’s the dilemma for Sanderson. While the Charlie Hall’s prize fund has stood at £100,000 for a number of years, racing has decreed that it can be staged for £37,500 this year.

Wetherby chief executive Jonjo Sanderson.Wetherby chief executive Jonjo Sanderson.
Wetherby chief executive Jonjo Sanderson.

Yet, because he believes such a sum would put off owners and detract from the quality of the renewal, Wetherby – and bet365 – will increase their contributions so the 2020 running is still worth £70,000. They are also looking to subsidise other races like the West Yorkshire Hurdle.

But Sanderson also believes a vaccine for Covid, or new developments in testing, are essential for spectators to return in any significant numbers.

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He says the cost of accommodating owners later today, and making sure they adhere to two-metre social distancing protocols, needs to be taken into consideration.

“We would like to get crowds back but we don’t know how easy it is going to be with these restrictions,” he added. “We are in the hands of the Government.”

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