UK Government

Crowds will not return to UK racecourses until mid-May at the earliest Prime Minister Boris Johnson said, when discussing the UK's path out of its current COVID-19 lockdown. Schools will reopen on Mar. 8, but grassroots sport will not begin prior to Mar. 29, along with larger groups being allowed to gather in parks and gardens. Johnson is planning on crowds back at sports venues no earlier than May 17. Racing has taken place behind closed doors in England since it resumed in June with the exception of a few...

Following the increasing rate of spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK, racing will continue without crowds in attendance after the UK Government's Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced that approximately 75% of the UK will be moved into Tier 3 or Tier 4 restrictions beginning on Thursday. Every area where a racecourse is located in Great Britain falls under these new Tier 3/4 designations. Hancock made the announcement in the House of Commons. Spectators were allowed back to courses in early December in Tier 1 and 2 areas, but...

The UK Government will look into the timetable for reviewing the Horserace Betting Levy, and the news has been welcoming by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA). Not due for a review until 2024 under the current legislation, the Horserace Betting Levy is now on the table for next year. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has magnified the funding issues of the industry, and the COVID-19 Recovery Plan, published in August, called for an urgent review as part of a wider initiative to restore industry finances. After the review was published, the...