Ger Lyons: We Need to Get Ahead of This Virus

While Ireland's flat turf season is still scheduled to get underway at Naas on Sunday, an announcement is expected by Wednesday afternoon regarding the nation. Britain became the latest European country-following France, Germany, Italy and Spain-to call off racing in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, and it is conceivable that the Emerald Isle could follow suit.

With a legitimate Classic contender in his care in Siskin (First Defence), trainer Ger Lyons is no doubt keen to get up and running but said he fears that doing so amidst the coronavirus outbreak could be damaging to the sport.

“It's been a lovely, smooth pre-season and we have a fantastic bunch of horses who are all raring to go but this thing has developed quicker than any of us anticipated,” Lyons said. “First and foremost can I say that the people that really matter are the health experts and medical professionals who we are relying on to get us through this situation so that is who my thoughts are with the most at the moment. I have so much admiration for them as they are in the belly of the beast, despite the personal and family issues the outbreak may also be causing them simultaneously.

“Our own day-to-day routine hasn't been affected too drastically. We have plenty of staff in and we are working away, heeding guidelines as best we can but my huge concern is that racing in Ireland might be stopped and if that happens we are all in big trouble.”

In a normal set of circumstances Lyons should be counting down the days to taking the wraps off last year's G1 Keeneland Phoenix S. winner Siskin (First Defence), whose first seasonal target is the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas at Newmarket in six weeks' time. With British racing already off until the end of April, it is utterly conceivable that Newmarket will not go ahead as planned on that date. Lyons, among all trainers, still has to operate under the assumption that racing will continue on an even keel after the initial cancellations and to that end he said his stable star is ticking along nicely towards a potential seasonal debut.

“Siskin is grand and is training well,” Lyons said. “He looks fantastic and has thickened out. Is he a Guineas horse? I still don't know. My instincts are telling me he is a shorter runner but at the minute he is being trained for the Guineas at Newmarket. We are on target but then again the industry might not be.”

The COVID-19 outbreak is a fast-evolving situation with major decisions coming from all angles, seemingly every other hour, and while Lyons said he had faith in Ireland's leadership in their battle to limit the spread of the infection among the general public, he said he feels the racing industry has been found severely wanting in its approach to the crisis.

“I'm so disappointed with the BHA over its lack of action over Cheltenham,” he said. “Last year they cancelled racing in a heartbeat over the equine flu yet here is a situation with more grave human consequences and they hid behind the British Government's similar inaction. They could have self-policed and at the least held it [Cheltenham] behind closed doors. I'm also disillusioned with the Irish people who travelled over with many coming back ignorant of the potential consequences.”

He continued, “It may well be too late at this stage but I am just asking people to do the right thing and don't wait for someone in authority to tell you what to do. It's time for racing professionals–and I'm pointing the finger at those trainers, jockeys and stable-staff who were in Cheltenham last week–to take it upon themselves to take a two-week break from mixing with their colleagues.

“I have been in touch with both Brian Kavanagh in HRI and Michael Grassick in the trainers' association and I believe we in the racing industry need to get ahead of this virus. By that I mean those who went to Cheltenham need to self-isolate and any Irish trainers that had runners there need to allow their staff that were there to do the same. I know for a fact that at the racecourses last Friday night, Saturday and Sunday there were stable staff there who had been at Cheltenham. That to me is highly irresponsible and also disrespectful to the rest of us.”

Subsequent to Lyons venting his frustration, Jessica Harrington announced her intention to lie low at home for two weeks and reassured people that her and her staff were doing their utmost to halt any spread of infection.

In contrast, Lyons said he had no gripe with how the Irish Government has handled the situation. He said, “My reading of it is our current Government couldn't have been any lower in morale after the general election but if their handling of the country in general terms was consistent to how they've handled this crisis since it developed, then they would have the respect of a lot more people. If they carry on as they are and they get us through this and there is another election then I think you would see a different result to the last one. I think they are playing a blinder and Simon Coveney has given me confidence that they are handling it correctly. But we can't just rely on the Government, we have the power to protect our own industry and I don't think we are doing that.”

As well as increasing the chances of a full-scale racing lockdown Lyons also laments the damage done to racing's image following last week's festival. “The negative consequences for racing's image as a result of Cheltenham going ahead as normal are massive. It was a PR disaster as it suggested we, the racing industry, were giving two fingers to the rest of society. I'm not going to give you the industry line just to be popular with the majority because I don't care what anyone thinks about me. I just care about racing taking place uninterrupted. The bottom line is Cheltenham should have been run behind closed doors and I'm not saying that in hindsight; I said the same before the meeting started.”

Lyons pulled no punches when speaking about his jumping colleagues and said he was disappointed so many have put short-term gain ahead of long-term pain. “Just because an authority doesn't tell you not to do something isn't an excuse to do something that you know deep down is wrong. Trainers are managers and it is up to them to make arrangements with staff so as not to have them mixing with other staff at the races after being in Cheltenham. I know it's easier said than done and the likes of Gordon [Elliott] and Willie [Mullins] had huge numbers of runners and then staff as a result and it would be a nightmare to try and operate after without them. It goes for the jockeys too. I know the Davy Russells of the world will be expected to tog out again straight after Cheltenham but that's wrong and I don't mind saying it. They made a decision beforehand to ride in Cheltenham because that is their World Cup but for the benefit of this sport that we all say we love they should have done the right thing. And that is take time off afterwards to make sure they have no symptoms. I have 90 horses here ready to run, as do lots of other trainers, so I just hope and pray that racing behind closed doors is acceptable for however long it is needed and that it works and that we do the right thing.”

The measures introduced by HRI to conduct racing in the most sterile capacity possible include limiting attendance to officials and participants required to operate a race-day only, one media representative per publication and one owner per runner, while the jockeys' saunas are closed and there are no catering or betting facilities available. Participants also have to adhere to strict guidelines posted around the facility with door handles, handrails of escalators, elevator buttons and any other obvious points of contact to be disinfected regularly during each race meeting. While not ideal, and in the longer term there will be implications for racecourses with regard to loss of gate receipts and sponsorship, the alternative situation of racing being cancelled is a far more sinister prospect.