NATIONAL IS CALLED OFF
THE 2020 Grand National meeting has been called off in response to the coronavirus outbreak with Jockey Club Racecourses stressing: ‘Public health must come first.’
The Aintree fixture, scheduled for April 2-4, was scrapped amid the Government’s new public health guidance on social distancing and non-essential travel.
The Grand National, the world’s greatest steeplechase and the biggest betting event on the racing calendar, would this year have seen Tiger Roll bid to join Red Rum as the only three-time winner.
Sandy Dudgeon, senior steward of The Jockey Club, said: “The Randox Health Grand National Festival was just three weeks away and it’s very clear to us it will not be possible for the event to take place. Public health comes first.
“We were working on a plan to stage the Grand National behind closed doors given its importance to the racing industry and beyond but after the Government measures confirmed last night to help to tackle the outbreak, this is not a viable option.”
More than 150,000 people usually attend the National meeting.
The shock news followed on the back of the decision earlier in the day that all UK race meetings would take place without spectators until at least the end of the month.
Today, Taunton and Wetherby will be the first in England to be staged minus spectators.
And the British Horseracing Authority has said some fixtures may be cancelled.
Yesterday’s meeting at Kelso already had to take place without spectators present to enforce the Scottish Government’s ban of any gathering of more than 500 people.
All racing in Ireland has been taking place without racegoers since Saturday.