Green light sees Perth racecourse get ready for mid-july return

SCOTLAND: Racing given green light to restart

Perth Racecourse will continue preparations to hold meetings behind closed doors from July 21 following confirmation the British fixture list can begin again north of the border.

Racing returned in England at the start of this month, following the 10-week hiatus during the population lockdown imposed to halt the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

Ireland and Wales are also staging meetings again, as in England adhering to strict limitations on essential attendance and social-distancing, and Scottish tracks have received the go-ahead to follow suit – as of Monday.

The news that Perth and racing fans were waiting for came after the Scottish Government yesterday announced professional sport can resume as part of phase two of its Covid-19 route map.

Ayr’s fixture on Monday will be the first held in Scotland since a behind-closed-doors meeting at Kelso on March 16.

Racing at Perth will be held on July 21, August 11 and 30.

All meetings can be viewed live on Racing TV, with the ITV cameras at Perth for the first time on August 30.

Perth chief executive Hazel Peplinski said: “This has rightly been a careful and cautious process, with the health of the public always the greatest priority.

“However we are delighted to be able to play a small part in the resumption of the wider horse-racing industry with the significant positive impact this shall bring to the leisure sector.

“It is refreshing to once again have a fixture on the horizon to be proactively planning for after such a long period of uncertainty.

“There is a substantial amount of operational work involved in meeting the full compliance requirements for a behind closed doors fixture.

“Our full-time team remains at a reduced capacity at present but we can now fully focus on our restart date of July 21.

“Every protocol and procedure needs scrutinised in minute detail so that it is site specific for Perth even though the same processes have worked so well at other racecourses south of the border since racing resumed there on June 1.”

Hazel continued: “It will only begin to feel anything like normal when we are able to welcome our fantastic crowds back to Perth.

“Our whole financial model is based on attracting full attendances and hospitality – these are the elements of our business that make us tick.”

“And what has been a godsend has been the proportion of our advance ticket holders that have opted to transfer their ticket value on to 2021. Not only is that a heart-warming nod of confidence in Perth’s future but it is also making a significant difference to the management of our cashflow through these troubling times.”

BHA chief executive Nick Rust said: “It is a sign of horse racing’s preparedness that we are the first major sport to return in Scotland as the recovery from Covid-19 continues.

“We are extremely grateful for the support of the Scottish Government in enabling this risk-managed return.”

Perth Racecourse will host live racing for the first time since last September when it stages its July 21 meeting.