Crucial weekend ahead for British racing

A provisional outline programme for the resumption of racing has been published by the British Horseracing Authority ahead of what is set to be a crunch weekend in plans for the return of the sport in Britain.

The BHA unveiled some details of its planned “phased” return to racing, with 13 fixtures to be staged over the first seven days — comprising one card on the opening day followed by two meetings a day for the subsequent six days and tracks categorised by geographical regions of North, Midlands and South.

However, in a note to trainers, the cross-industry Resumption of Racing Group emphasised Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s statement on Sunday regarding the proposed route out of the current lockdown in Britain will be crucial to ending the racing shutdown, and will need to be considered before a further update, which will not be expected until Monday.

It said: “On Sunday, May 10, the UK Government will outline the next phase of its response to the coronavirus pandemic, which may include changes to its current social distancing restrictions and, potentially, a timeline for the resumption of sport.

“Racing industry leaders will then meet on Monday, May 11 to discuss the Government’s announcement and its implications for our own resumption planning. We understand that everyone across the industry wants to know the date on which racing can resume.

“We are continuing to have positive conversations with government, including public health officials. However, the reality is that the industry will need to understand more about the UK Government’s approach for the return of sport, and the operational implications of any continuing restrictions — and equally the plans from the devolved administrations in Scotland and Wales — before we can provide a clear date for resumption.”

It added: “At this stage, the race programme — and particularly the date on which it can commence — is still subject to guidance from the relevant public health authorities and the conditions in place during a phased return to racing.

“Once this information is known, we will be able to confirm which racecourses will be included in the first seven days following resumption. As explained last week, an application process has been completed for racecourses to express interest in participating in the initial phases of resumption. The response from racecourses was overwhelmingly positive, with all courses expressing interest in being included.”