Kelso to race behind closed doors

MONDAY’S meeting at Kelso will take place behind closed doors following the Scottish Government advice to delay the spread of coronavirus by cancelling mass gatherings of more than 500 people.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon outlined planned measures north of the border following a Cobra meeting in London on Thursday, which confirmed the UK is entering the delay phase of tackling the pandemic.

The British Horseracing Authority reiterated it is following official Government advice in allowing meetings in England and Wales to go ahead as normal for now.

Kelso managing director Jonathan Garratt said: “Although racing seems likely to continue in front of a crowd south of the border, the situation in relation to outdoor gatherings in Scotland is unclear.

“We remain optimistic that, once the appropriate procedures for staging racing are agreed with the Scottish Government, we may be able to welcome racegoers at our valuable fixture on Saturday 21st March.

“However, there is a lack of clarity and we are receiving a large volume of calls from racegoers who are seeking advice about travel and accommodation. In order to give everyone greater certainty over the weekend, we have taken the decision to run Monday’s fixture behind closed doors.”

He added: “We are planning to proceed as scheduled as it is vital for the racing industry and everyone employed in related businesses.

“Our intention is to remain within the capacity figure of 500 people referenced by the First Minister.”

Musselburgh Racecourse say they are in discussions with racing authorities and the Scottish Government over what form their next race meeting should take. The East Lothian course is scheduled to stage the Racing Post Go North meeting on Friday.

Musselburgh Racecourse general manager, Bill Farnsworth, said: “We will follow the guidelines issued by the Scottish Government and explore all options available to us to establish if we can continue racing during this exceptional time.

“The Racing Post Go North meeting has more than £160,000 in prize money and is a very important fixture for Scottish trainers and stables across the north of England. The racing industry, the owners, trainers and stable staff, need all the support they can get and its incumbent on us to continue racing if possible, which helps maintain jobs and incomes.”