O'Brien conscious of working in a safe environment

Aidan O'Brien reports his team at Ballydoyle to be continuing in routine work but most of all is mindful of the health of his staff and their families.

The perennial champion trainer told Racing TV's On The Wire podcast: “Everyone has to act as responsible as possible and do all in their power not to get it (COVID-19) and if they do then not to pass it on. We need to do everything we can to save as many lives as possible.

“Horses, like human beings, have to be exercised and we are doing everything we can but keeping as far apart as possible. When they get fed they have to be exercised and we are doing everything we can for them and our staff.

“At breakfast and lunch everyone is as far apart as can be. We are conscious that all our staff have families and they have to be able to work to support their families. We have to try and keep the whole thing turning but in as responsible a way as possible.

“We feel responsible for all those people and their families. It’s a balancing act but people always come first in every way and we just have to take it day by day.

“We don’t know when racing will go ahead but obviously we will be delighted whenever that does come about. The government and the health service are working together for the benefit of everybody.

“The powers that be know that racing is a big industry and employs a lot of people. When racing does come back it will be in a responsible way and maybe it will start back behind closed doors.

“Everyone within racing has shown how responsible they are over the past few weeks. Racing has shown that it can work and not put peoples health at risk.

“Alot of older people get a lot of pleasure from watching racing at home and we get a lot of letters telling us about the horses and jockeys that they would be following. It’s very good for their mental health to have an interest in something.

“What we are doing at the moment with the horses is routine enough work and just keeping them ticking over.”