British horse racing and coronavirus

If we can view Europe's largest training centre of Newmarket as a microcosm of the wider racing world, then events in the last week give a pretty concerning snapshot of the future of the sport. On the positive front, there was a first winner for the town's newest trainer, Terry Kent, who, at 53, is also one of the longest-serving members of its workforce, having previously been a jockey and worked for trainers Michael Jarvis, Julie Cecil, Saeed Bin Suroor and Roger Varian. Another recent recruit to the training ranks,...

There are plenty of businesses and individuals adversely affected by the coronavirus lockdown meaning that, in Britain, there has been a greater call for the industry's primary support network, Racing Welfare. But the charity itself has also been affected by a downturn in its fundraising efforts through events like the London Marathon having to be cancelled, leading to a shortfall in its own funding mechanism. Last month Racing Welfare launched its COVID-19 Emergency Appeal with the aim of raising £500,000 to cover that loss. Since then, it has also launched...

The British Horseracing Authority over the next week will draw up a provisional programme for the first seven days of racing's resumption, with that resumption date yet to be determined. In a release on Thursday, the BHA said it will then publish the remainder of the provisional programme up until the end of June. Racecourses were this week invited to submit expressions of interest to stage fixtures upon racing's return, which will help with the development of the provisional programme. Racing's resumption will be based on a phased approach, and...