Cheltenham Festival

More than 270 people have now tested positive for coronavirus in the UK, the Department of Health has announced. As of 9 a.m. on Sunday, 273 people had been diagnosed with Covid-19--an increase of 67 from the 206 cases confirmed at 7 a.m. on Saturday. It represents the largest day-on-day increase in diagnoses. The four-day Cheltenham Festival, is still going ahead as planned and it begins on Tuesday. Meanwhile in Italy, more than a quarter of population has been placed in mandatory quarantine as the Government attempts to stem the...

In a bid to combat the spread of coronavirus, another three race meetings in France will be run without any spectators under orders from the local authorities in the Oise region, which includes Chantilly. Tuesday's meeting at Chantilly was staged behind closed doors this week along with two at nearby Compiegne, and that has now been extended to next week when the racing at Chantilly on Monday, Tuesday and Friday will be run without members of the public being admitted. A statement released by France Galop on Wednesday read, "At...

In an echo of World War II Ministry of Information posters, the message from the British government as of Tuesday was very much 'keep calm and carry on' in light of growing concerns regarding the spread of coronavirus. Health Secretary Matt Hancock, a racing fan whose West Suffolk constituency includes Newmarket, took to the airwaves on Tuesday morning and in an interview on BBC Radio 4's Today programme said, "Today we are still in the contain phase of the plan which is about trying to stop its spread. There are...

The British Horseracing Authority is prepared to act--if the need arises--regarding any potential coronavirus impact on fixtures, including the Cheltenham Festival. BHA chief executive Nick Rust has confirmed an industry steering group is in place to consider the implications of the virus. Rust, speaking on a Betfair podcast, said, "We have an industry group in place that has been and continues to work on the potential impact of the coronavirus on the horse racing industry as a whole. "The BHA executive met with the team at Cheltenham Racecourse on Monday...

You know you've made it when you are widely known simply by your first name. Say the name 'Mags' to most people in the bloodstock industry and they will know exactly to whom you are referring. For Margaret O'Toole, to use her given name, is as widely known as she is admired within that tightknit community, commanding a respect inversely proportionate to the level of publicity she receives. The latter is deliberate. Not for O'Toole are the self-congratulatory social media accounts. If she did choose to publicise her achievements in...