As the coronavirus outbreak worsens, UK racing's leadership, including racecourses, participants and the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), will meet on Monday to discuss the sport's coronavirus plan going forward. In the immediate future, race meetings will likely be held without spectators through at least the end of March and the UK fixture list will also be under discussion. The goal of the meeting is to agree on a programme that is sustainable in the light of possible staff absences, including in critical roles, while protecting the industry's workforce and freeing up critical public services.
“Racing has worked hard to look after our customers and our staff by following the government's guidance and taking proportionate action,” said BHA Chief Executive Nick Rust. “We will agree plans to limit attendance to participants and staff only at race meetings from this week and put in place the contingency plans developed by the industry.”
The BHA has been closely following the guidelines set down by the British government, and has been keeping the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport abreast of its contingency plans with a focus toward protecting industry members. In the short term, a decision on the Randox Health Grand National at Aintree on Apr. 2-4 is still pending. Newmarket's Guineas Festival, Epsom's Derby meeting and Royal Ascot could also be affected by the likely “closed door” policy on spectators.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said a bill setting out emergency powers to deal with the outbreak will be published on Thursday, and details of what the powers will include will be shared on Tuesday.
Speaking on Sky's Sophy Ridge On Sunday, Hancock said ministers are yet to make a decision on whether to ban gatherings of over 500 people in the rest of the UK, after Scotland said it would bring in restrictions from Monday.
“We are absolutely ready to do that as necessary,” he said, but he pointed towards a Cobra meeting being held on Monday when asked when the decision will be made.
Industry Perspectives
The Arena Racing Company operates 16 British racecourses, and ARC's Chief Executive Martin Cruddace offered his opinion on the potential financial fallout of racing without spectators for an extended period on Sky Sports Racing's Sunday morning programme, Racing Debate.
Said Cruddace, “We are outliers with other parts of the racing world, but I think it's only right that we should be prepared for an imminent change and my own personal view is it could be within 48 hours. We're planning, worst case scenario, end of June. It is absolutely possible we won't race again in front of a crowd until the end of June.”
While a continuation of racing behind closed doors would be considered far better than no racing at all, it will, of course, still have huge financial ramifications for the sport.
Asked how serious the situation was for his company, Cruddace added, “It's particularly serious, I think we can weather the storm, but it will mean that unless we have support elsewhere we will not be able to put the fixtures on that the industry or the bookmaking industry needs.
“I think viability of racecourses is seriously in question, unless as an industry we work together and find the support that I think might be out there.”
Bookmakers have stressed the importance of keeping racing going amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Simon Clare, PR director for Ladbrokes Coral, said, “It's really important if possible to keep the racing show on the road, even if that is behind closed doors. You've got a horse population in training being paid for that obviously needs to run, but then racing derives significant revenues from betting–the levy, betting shop media rights and streaming, bet and watch online. They are three big revenues to racing, all of which comes from racing taking place.
“Racing has a big incentive to keep the sport going through what is an unprecedented and quite extraordinary situation. It feels like it could be feasible to keep some of the show on the road, because even if every fixture can't take place a proportion will generate a significant part of the betting.
“We fully support the BHA's approach and with most sports not taking place and a lot of people confined to home, the fact that racing is taking place will be one of the few leisure pursuits people will be able to enjoy and access during a dull and difficult time.”
Rupert Arnold, chief executive of the National Trainers Federation, believes there is a feeling of everyone pulling together as racing braces itself for the unprecedented scenario of all meetings being held behind closed doors, initially until the end of March.
“I think everybody who is involved in staging the sport is going to have to adapt to the very unusual circumstances and we will all have to work together to deal with those issues and challenges that will arise,” said Arnold. “We'll have to do things differently and come to some uncomfortable compromises, but that is all in the interest of protecting the livelihoods of everybody involved in the sport and protecting their health and safety as well.
“We have to adapt, but I feel there is a very strong sense among everybody involved to work together on this. People are thinking very much along the same lines and working out the best way to do this. There is a good spirit of co-operation.”
Arnold had expected the BHA to move towards the restrictive measures due to the escalation of the virus.
“I think that along with most of my colleagues in racing this is a decision that was looking increasingly inevitable,” he said. “We're all very mindful of both the need to keep the wheels of the industry turning, but also our wider duty to the public's health and safety and the way things are moving rapidly and how other sports have responded. I think this was inevitable after the last 24-48 hours that we would probably have to make this decision.”
Racing in Europe
Other parts of the world have already moved toward restricted racing and, in some cases, the total suspension of the sport. Race meetings in Scotland, Ireland and Germany are already being run behind closed doors, with stringent measures in place to limit the number of people on course. The same has occurred in France-which also closed all non-essential businesses on Saturday evening. Italy, the European country suffering worst from coronavirus, has suspended racing completely through Apr. 3.
Racing in Ireland took place under the new restricted guidelines at Dundalk on Friday and Navan on Saturday, and also at Limerick on Sunday.
Brian Kavanagh, Chief Executive of Horse Racing Ireland, admits the situation is ever changing.
He said on Racing TV's Luck on Sunday programme, “So far we've had two meetings under the 'closed door' policy and they went fine. There were a couple of little learnings, but nothing major. Obviously we don't know what is around the corner with this outbreak and we're conscious that it was the infection of coaches and players which effectively closed the football down. That is the sort of thing you would be concerned about.
“We're confident at the moment. We had the meeting in Navan on Sunday, which would usually have 2,500 people. It went ahead with less than 300 people there and most of them were either involved with a horse or working at the meeting. That's comfortably within the [Irish] Government's guidelines of limits of 500 people.”
He added, “The initial Government instruction was until Mar. 29, so for the next two weeks at least we will be under these circumstances. Who knows what happens thereafter? Navan on Saturday was a sorry sight to see, but you've got to look at the bigger picture–there's a major public health issue here, so we're just glad to be able to keep racing.”
Kavanagh acknowledges racing behind closed doors will have significant economic implications, not only for the ruling body but for the sport as a whole.
He said, “The longer it goes on it will be a challenge [for HRI financially], but I don't think that's the important issue at the moment, the important issue is to try to get a grip on this disease and its spread. I think it's our duty to try and keep the wheels turning–keep prize-money going into the system and keep people earning a living.
“Anyone working in yards are dependent on racing continuing, so it is a concern. It's a concern probably as much for racecourses as it is for Horse Racing Ireland as they're losing sponsorship and gate receipts. You can survive on media rights revenue for a couple of meetings, as a long-term proposition that's not viable, but there's no choice.”
Racing Worldwide
All UAE meetings through at least the Dubai World Cup on Mar. 28 will go ahead without spectators. In Australia, the story is the same, with race meetings closed to the public and a ban on large public gatherings. The Australian Federal Government has also imposed a 14-day self-isolation requirement for any overseas arrivals and the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale will likely be invite-only due to the ban of public events of more than 500 people. In Hong Kong, racing has been closed to spectators, while in South Korea, racing is still suspended.
Stateside, most tracks are continuing to race, but are closed to the public, and in Maryland on Sunday, racetracks have been shuttered. Turf Paradise closed up shop on Saturday due to coronavirus, while Sunland Park followed suit Sunday afternoon.
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